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Inhalants
Examples of products kids
abuse to get high include model airplane glue, nail polish remover, cleaning
fluids, hair spray, gasoline, the propellant in aerosol whipped cream, spray
paint, fabric protector, air conditioner fluid (freon), cooking spray and
correction fluid. These products are sniffed, snorted, bagged (fumes inhaled
from a plastic bag), or "huffed" (inhalant-soaked rag, sock, or roll
of toilet paper in the mouth) to achieve a high. Inhalants are also sniffed
directly from the container. When inhaled via the nose
or mouth into the lungs in sufficient concentrations, inhalants can cause
intoxicating effects. Intoxication can last only a few minutes or several hours
if inhalants are taken repeatedly. Initially, users may feel slightly
stimulated; with successive inhalations, they may feel less inhibited and less
in control; finally, a user can lose consciousness. Other effects include
headache, muscle weakness, abdominal pain, severe mood swings and violent
behavior, numbness and tingling of the hands and feet, nausea, hearing loss,
limb spasms, fatigue, and lack of coordination. Sniffing highly
concentrated amounts of the chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can directly
induce heart failure and death. This is especially common from the abuse of
fluorocarbons and butane-type gases. High concentrations of inhalants also can
cause death from suffocation by displacing oxygen in the lungs and then in the
central nervous system so that breathing ceases. Other irreversible effects
caused by inhaling specific solvents are hearing loss, limb spasms, central
nervous system or brain damage. Serious but potentially reversible effects
include liver and kidney damage and blood oxygen depletion. Death from inhalants
usually is caused by a very high concentration of fumes. Deliberately inhaling
from an attached paper or plastic bag or in a closed area greatly increases the
chances of suffocation. Inhalants are legally sold products. |
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Source: http://www.drugfreeamerica.org (National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)) Last updated: 27 August 2004 |
