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Inhalant Addiction Drug
Rehab
Inhalant abuse, commonly called huffing, is the
purposeful inhalation of chemical vapors to achieve an altered mental or
physical state, which for most abusers is a euphoric effect. Abusers inhale
vapors emitted from a wide range of substances. In fact, chemical vapors used
as inhalants can be found in over 1,000 common household products. There are
several general categories for substances that may be used as
inhalants.
Volatile Solvents
Volatile
Solvents are liquids that vaporize at room temperature if left in unsealed
containers. Paint thinner, gasoline, correction fluid, felt-tip markers, nail
polish and remover, and glue (such as rubber cement) all contain volatile
solvents.
Aerosols
Aerosols are sprays
that contain propellants and solvents such as toluene--one of the most common
solvents found in aerosols. Common aerosols include paint, deodorant, hair
products, cooking products, and fabric protector. Silver and gold spray paint
are particularly popular among inhalant abusers.
Gases
Gases are substances that lack definite shape or
volume such as refrigerants and medical anesthetics. Abusers frequently inhale
gases found in butane lighters, air conditioning units, and propane tanks.
Medical anesthetics such as ether, chloroform, and nitrous oxide are also
abused. Nitrous oxide, commonly called laughing gas, is abused more frequently
than any other gas. It can be obtained from whipped cream dispensers or
products that boost octane levels in racing cars. It may also be purchased in
balloons or in small, sealed vials called whippets, which are sold at raves or
drug paraphernalia stores.
Nitrates
Nitrites are a group of chemicals including cyclohexyl nitrite, amyl
nitrite, and butyl nitrite. Nitrites are used mainly to enhance sexual
experiences rather than to achieve a euphoric effect. Cyclohexyl nitrite is
found in room deodorizers. Amyl nitrite comes in small, mesh-covered, sealed
capsules that are popped or snapped in order to release the vapors. Because of
this popping or snapping, these capsules are frequently called poppers or
snappers. Butyl nitrite is often sold in small bottles that, like amyl nitrite
capsules, are referred to as poppers. Nitrites are available in adult
bookstores and shops and over the Internet.
Inhalant
Abuse
According to the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug
Abuse, the number of new inhalant abusers rose approximately 158 percent from
an estimated 392,000 in 1990 to 1,010,000 in 1999. The primary user group was
composed of 12- to 17-year-olds--over 636,000 had tried inhalants for the first
time in 1999. This number is more than double that of the 18- to 25-year-old
user group (276,000.) Almost 17 million individuals have experimented with
inhalants at some point in their lives.
Inhalants are the fourth most
abused substances in the United States among eighth, tenth, and twelfth
graders; alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana are the top three, according to the
2000 Monitoring the Future Study. By the time adolescents reach the eighth
grade, one in five has tried inhalants at least once. Prevalence of lifetime
abuse has consistently been higher among eighth graders than among tenth and
twelfth graders. In 2000, 18 percent of eighth graders, 17 percent of tenth
graders and 14 percent of twelfth graders admitted having used inhalants at
least once in their lifetime. Statistics showing higher lifetime use among
eighth graders may be due to the fact that frequent inhalant abusers typically
drop out of school and consequently do not participate in the tenth and twelfth
grade surveys.
Data from the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)
indicate that 14.6 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 have abused
inhalants at least once in their lifetime; 4.2 percent of the students reported
having abused inhalants at least once in the 30 days preceding the survey.
Males and females abused inhalants at nearly equal rates--14.7 percent of males
and 14.6 percent of females admitted having used inhalants at least once in
their lifetime. Similarly, 4.4 percent of males and 3.9 percent of females
reported having used inhalants at least once in the 30 days preceding the
survey.
Inhalants are abused throughout the country. According to the
1999 YRBS, in 11 states the percentage of high school students who reported
having used inhalants at least once in their lifetime exceeded the national
average of 14.6 percent. The states having the highest percentage of inhalant
abuse are West Virginia (20.4%), Tennessee (19.2%), Nevada (19.0%), Wyoming
(17.6%), Ohio (17.1%), Arkansas (16.7%), Montana (16.5%), Wisconsin (16.2%),
Alabama (16.1%), Michigan (15.6%), and North Dakota (15.5%).
Inhalants
are breathed in through the nose or mouth in a variety of ways. Abusers begin
by inhaling deeply; they then take several more breaths. Abusers may inhale, by
sniffing or snorting, chemical vapors directly from open containers or by
huffing fumes from rags that are soaked in a chemical substance and then held
to the face or stuffed in the mouth. Other methods include spraying aerosols
directly into the nose or mouth or pouring inhalants onto the user's collar,
sleeves, or cuffs and sniffing them over a period of time (such as during a
class in school). In a practice known as bagging, fumes are inhaled from
substances sprayed or deposited inside a paper or plastic bag. Alternatively,
the fumes may be discharged into small containers such as soda cans and then
inhaled from the can. Users may also inhale from balloons filled with nitrous
oxide or other devices such as snappers and poppers in which inhalants are
sold.
Signs Of Inhalant Abuse
- Drunk or disoriented appearance
- Paint or other stains on face, hands, or
clothing
- Hidden empty spray paint or solvent
containers and chemical-soaked rags or clothing
- Slurred speech
- Strong chemical odors on breath or clothing
- Nausea or loss of appetite
- Red or runny nose
- Sores or rash around the nose or mouth
Effects of Abusing
Inhalants
For most users, inhalant abuse results in a rapid
euphoric effect that is similar to alcohol intoxication. Users experience
initial excitation, then drowsiness, lightheadedness, and agitation. Inhalant
abusers also report feeling a loss of inhibitions. The chemicals found in
volatile solvents, aerosols, and gases produce a variety of additional effects
during or shortly after use that include dizziness, strong hallucinations,
delusions, belligerence, apathy, and impaired judgment. Additional symptoms
exhibited by long-term inhalant abusers include weight loss, muscle weakness,
disorientation, inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability, and
depression. Withdrawal symptoms include sweating, rapid pulse, hand tremors,
insomnia, nausea or vomiting, hallucinations, and, in severe cases, grand mal
seizures.
While abusers of other inhalants seek a euphoric effect, nitrite
abusers--who tend to be adults rather than adolescents--seek to enhance the
sexual experience. Inhaled nitrites dilate blood vessels, increase heart rate,
and produce a sensation of heat and excitement that can last for several
minutes. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, use of these drugs
is associated with unsafe sexual practices that greatly increase the risk of
contracting and spreading infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.
Chronic inhalant abuse may result in serious and sometimes irreversible
damage to the user's heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, and brain. Brain damage may
result in personality changes, diminished cognitive functioning, memory
impairment, and slurred speech.
Death from inhalant abuse can occur after a
single use or after prolonged use. Sudden sniffing death (SSD) may result
within minutes of inhalant abuse from irregular heart rhythm leading to heart
failure. Other causes of death include asphyxiation, aspiration, or
suffocation. A user who is suffering from impaired judgment may also experience
fatal injuries from motor vehicle accidents or sudden falls. |
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