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vernonia prevention coalition
june6
2013
The content on this page is provided by the Vernonia Prevention Coalition
Be a Piece of the Puzzle ~ The Science of Drugs: Inhalants
Most people
think harmful drugs are
only found on street
corners or in local
pharmacies, not cleaning
cabinets or garages. But sometimes
items commonly found in millions of
homes aren’t used for their intended
purposes such as permanent markers or
compressed air. Some people inhale the
chemical vapors produced by common
household substances — known as
inhalants — to get high. What many of
them don’t realize is how dangerous this
really is.
know about the types of inhalants:
• Volatile solvents are liquids that
become a gas at room temperature.
Some examples are paint thinners and
removers, gasoline, glues, and felt-tip
marker fluids.
• Gases include medical gases (ether,
nitrous oxide) and household or
commercial products (butane lighters,
propane tanks, whipped cream
dispensers that contain nitrous oxide,
and refrigerants).
• Aerosol sprays are some of the most
prevalent inhalants in the home and
include spray paint, deodorant and
hairsprays, vegetable oil cooking sprays,
and static cling sprays.
• Nitrites include cyclohexyl nitrite,
amyl nitrite, and butyl nitrite. On the
street, they’re called “poppers” or
“snappers.” They’re found in some room
deodorizers and capsules that release
vapors when opened.
Why People Use Inhalants
Inhalants might seem like an
alternative to other mood-altering drugs
because they are cheap, can be purchased
legally, and are easy to obtain. But that
doesn’t make them safer. When used as
directed, household products are safe for
cleaning, painting, and the other things
they’re meant to do. But as inhalants, Effects on the Body
they can be deadlier than street drugs.
People inhale chemical vapors
in several ways, including sniffing,
How Are They Used
snorting, or spraying the inhalant
These products are sniffed, directly into the nose or mouth, putting
snorted, bagged (fumes inhaled from it into a bag or other container and then
a plastic bag), or “huffed” (inhalant- inhaling from there, putting the vapor
soaked rag, sock, or roll of toilet onto a rag, or inhaling nitrous oxide
paper in the mouth) to achieve a high. from balloons. Because the high from
Inhalants are also sniffed directly from inhalants only lasts a few minutes, some
the container.
people may inhale over and over again
for long periods of time to maintain the
Different Kinds of Inhalants
high, increasing the amount of dangerous
There are four main types chemicals entering and damaging the
of inhalants: volatile solvents, gases, body.
aerosols, and nitrites. Volatile solvents,
Inhalants can cause many
gases, and aerosols can alter moods changes in the body. Once the vapors
and create a high. Nitrites are believed enter the body, some are absorbed by
to create sexual stimulation and parts of the brain and nervous system.
enhancement.
All of the inhalants (except nitrites)
Here is what else you need to slow down the body’s functions, similar
to the effects of drinking alcohol. At first
someone gets excited, but then gets tired,
has trouble speaking clearly or walking
well, gets dizzy, loses inhibitions, and
may get agitated. It can sometimes
take up to 2 weeks for the chemical to
completely pass from the body.
Other short-term effects of
inhaling chemicals include:
• increased heart rate
• hallucinations or delusions
• losing feeling or consciousness
• nausea and vomiting
• loss of coordination
• slurred speech
oxygen in the lungs so that a person
stops breathing.
• Choking — A user can choke on his or
her vomit.
• Suffocation — When vapors are
inhaled from a plastic bag placed over
the head, the bag can block air from
entering the lungs.
• Injuries — Since people high on
inhalants often make poor decisions,
they might try to drive under the
influence or do something irrational,
such as jump off a roof. They could also
get burned or start explosions if a spark
ignites flammable inhalants.
• Suicide — Some people become
Because inhalants are found in depressed when their high wears off.
most homes, people don’t realize they
are incredibly addictive. People who Signs of Inhalant Abuse
become addicted to using inhalants
Inhalants, like other drugs, have
are likely to become long-term users. noticeable effects on those using them.
This puts them at risk for these health Someone on inhalants may suffer from a
problems:
number of different ill effects, including:
• brain damage (toxic chemicals may • mood swings
make people become slow or clumsy, • extreme anger, agitation, and irritability
have trouble solving problems or • exhaustion
planning ahead, suffer from memory • loss of appetite
loss, or become unable to learn new • frequent vomiting
things)
• hallucinations and illusions
• muscle weakness
• facial rashes and blisters
• depression
• frequent runny nose and cough
• headaches and nosebleeds
• dilated pupils
• loss of sense of smell or hearing
• glazed or watery eyes
• extremely bad breath
Nitrites work differently. Instead
of slowing down the brain and the spinal
Of course, some of these things
cord, they increase the size of blood are signs of other health problems, not
vessels and relax the muscles.
necessarily inhalant use. But an even
greater factor is why individuals use
How Inhalants Kill
inhalant to get high. The common
Like most street drugs, inhalants misconception by people is that these
can be deadly. Someone can die from are “safer” due to their not being illegal.
abusing inhalants after trying it only Unfortunately, what is seen as a “thing
once. Causes of death include:
that kids do” can turn into a pattern
• “Sudden Sniffing Death” — This is of practice that leads into the abuse of
the most common cause of death from other drugs: over the counter, illegal or
inhalant use. The heart beats quickly prescription.
and irregularly, and then suddenly stops
(cardiac arrest). This can happen even Resources:
the first time a person tries an inhalant http://teenshealth.org/teen/
and is experimenting.
http://www.drugfree.org/
• Asphyxia — Toxic fumes replace
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