What Do You Know About Inhalant Abuse?

Inhalants are the fifth most abused substance by teens, according to the NIDA. Substances abused more often are marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes, and prescription drugs.

Some people view inhalant sniffing as a fad that will pass as teens mature.

Inhalants can cause death by starving the body of oxygen or forcing the heart to beat more rapidly and less smoothly. They can also cause severe damage to the brain and nervous system.

It is more common among younger teens. In a 2007 study, nearly 4 percent of eighth graders said they were current users of inhalants. Only 1.2 percent of high school seniors said they were current users. Use of inhalants goes up or down a little bit each year, but for the 2,000 youths who die each year and their families, any abuse can be devastating.

Teens can buy inhalants legally in stores. Some, such as gasoline, glues, paints, household sprays, may be readily available in the home. Inhalants are found in a variety of seemingly harmless products. As a result, teens who sniff inhalants to get high don't face the same supply problems or legal concerns that abusers of other drugs face.

Nitrous oxide is a colorless, sweet-tasting gas used by doctors and dentists for general anesthesia. It's present in whipping cream cans or bakery supply shops. It's called "laughing gas" because it often brings on a state of giggling and laughter. Nitrous oxide is abused when it is inhaled for its mind-altering effects. It's often discharged into a balloon and then inhaled. Inhaling the gas may starve the body of oxygen and can result in death. Long-term use can result in nerve damage.

Toluene is a solvent. It is a common ingredient in many paints, lacquers, glues, inks, and cleaning fluids. It is the cause of many inhalant abuse deaths and injuries. Abusers of spray paint may still have damage to the nervous system for more than a month after use stops. Such damage can affect perception, reasoning, and memory. It also can lead to poor muscular coordination and, eventually, dementia.

Volatile solvents are found in gasoline, paint thinner, spray paint, paint and wax removers, hair spray, odorants, air fresheners, cigarette lighter fuels, analgesic sprays, and gases used in aerosols such as whipped cream dispensers. Volatile solvents produce a quick form of intoxication. Many inhalant products contain more than one volatile solvent, so it is difficult to pinpoint the specific chemical responsible for brain or nerve damage or death.