Depending on the kind of solvent or gas, inhalants can produce additional effects, which can include:. High dosages of inhalants can result in confusion or delirium. Unlike solvents and gases, nitrites act by dilating blood vessels and relaxing the smooth muscle in the vessels. Depending on the chemical being inhaled, inhalants can produce many different long-term harmful effects. Regular inhalant abuse can result in harm to the body's vital organs.
But some long-term effects of inhalant abuse are irreversible, including brain damage, central nervous system damage, hearing loss, limb spasms, and bone marrow damage. After prolonged use of inhalants, abusers report a strong need to continue using them.
Some users develop a tolerance and must increase the amount they use to achieve the same effects. With long-term abuse, users can develop a compulsive use of inhalants and can experience mild withdrawal syndrome. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, research shows that inhalant users initiate use of cigarettes, alcohol, and almost all other drugs at younger ages than those who did not use inhalants.
Also, early inhalant users are more likely to develop substance use disorders, including abuse of prescription drugs, than other people with no history of inhalants use. Because there are so many different substances that are abused as inhalants, users can risk a long list of serious medical consequences. The abuse of some inhalants can result in sudden death even after one inhaling session.
An estimated deaths per year in the United States are inhalant related. There are other ways that inhalant abuse can be fatal, including:.
NIDA research shows that most substances used as inhalants are very toxic and chronic exposure to them can result in damage to the brain and nervous system. Prolonged inhalant abuse can damage regions of the brain that control cognition, movement, vision, and hearing. Chronic users can experience cognitive abnormalities that range from mild impairment to severe dementia, according to the NIDA.
The brain is not the only organ that can be damaged. Inhalants have been found highly toxic to the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. NIDA research indicates that inhalant abuse while pregnant can result in reduced birth weights, occasional skeletal abnormalities, and delayed neurobehavioral development among other effects. Case studies have shown that children of women who abused inhalants during pregnancy were developmentally impaired.
Research has not, however, linked any inhalants to specific birth defects or developmental problems. The dangers of abusing nitrites, known as "poppers," arise from exposure to the substance itself as well as from behaviors associated with the use of the drugs.
Known side-effects of nonmedical use of nitrite inhalants include skin and tracheobronchial irritation; acute toxicity mediated by conditions known as hypokinetic anoxia and methemoglobinemia; and associated disorders of blood and blood-forming organs. In most cases, nitrites are used by older adolescents and adults in an attempt to enhance sexual function and pleasure. Additionally, animal studies have shown that the use of nitrites depletes cells in the user's immune system and impairs the body's mechanisms for fighting infectious diseases.
Therefore, researchers have concluded that nitrite abuse may be linked to the development and progression of infectious diseases and tumors. One animal study found that even a small number of exposures to butyl nitrite results in dramatic increases in tumor development and growth.
Actually, a higher percentage of girls than boys abuse inhalants, also known as huffing, according to the latest government statistics. In , 3. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.
Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Drug Facts: Inhalants.
Updated February Research Report Series: Inhalants. Updated July Inhalant abuse and dependence among adolescents in the United States. National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The activity is popular among teens, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and may account for up to deaths every year in the USA alone, say the authors.
Inhalant abuse comes in three forms: direct inhalation, known as sniffing; inhaling through a piece of clothing, known as 'huffing'; and 'bagging,' which involves using a plastic bag or balloon. Volatile solutions, aerosols, and pressurised gasses are all potential candidates for abuse, say the authors.
In this case, a 19 year old man, who was being treated in a drug rehab clinic for ketamine and cannabis abuse, relapsed. Snorting: through the mouth. Bagging: from a plastic or paper bag. Huffing: from a rag or cloth soaked in the substance and held over the mouth or nose.
Glading: inhaling air-freshener aerosols. Dusting: directly spraying aerosols into the nose or mouth. What happens when someone uses an inhalant? What are the warning signs? Someone who is using inhalants may show all or some of the following warning signs: Looking or acting drunk, dazed, or dizzy.
Slurred or confused speech. Trouble walking, off-balance or uncoordinated. Red or runny eyes and nose, nosebleeds. Breath that smells like chemicals. It may be possible to become psychologically dependent on volatile substances, meaning the users develop an increased desire to keep using despite any harms they experience, but the evidence on this is limited.
Withdrawal symptoms have been reported in regular users. When they stop their use they experience anxiety, irritability and headaches. Like drink-driving, driving when high is dangerous and illegal. If the police catch people supplying illegal drugs in a home, club, bar or hostel, they can potentially prosecute the landlord, club owner or any other person concerned in the management of the premises. Under Scottish law you can be prosecuted for recklessly selling substances to any age group if you suspect they're going to inhale them.
It is illegal to sell petrol to anyone under the age of 16 or to supply butane gas lighter refills to anyone under the age of This applies to the whole of the UK. If you or someone else needs urgent help after taking drugs or drinking, call for an ambulance.
Tell the crew everything you know. It could save their life. Glues, gases and aerosols A wide range of glues, gases, solvents and aerosols containing volatile substances, which people inhale to get high.
How it looks, tastes and smells What does it look like? Many are normal household products — such as: butane gas lighter refills aerosols containing hairspray deodorants and air fresheners tins or tubes of glue some paints, thinners and correcting fluids cleaning fluids surgical spirit petrol.
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