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JUST THE FACTS
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ACTS
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CTS
WHAT ARE
INHALANTS?
AN EDUCATIONAL FACT SHEET FROM
THE FLORIDA ALCOHOL & DRUG ABUSE ASSOCIATION
Inhalants are breathable substances that
produce psychoactive (mood altering) vapors.
Commonly abused inhalants are: Model airplane
glue, rubber cement, spray paint, air freshener,
deodorant, ether, dry cleaning fluid, spot remover,
and vegetable cooking spray. They can be broken
down into three major categories -volatile solvents,
nitrites, and anesthetics.
VOLATILE SOLVENTS
Volatile solvents are either gases, such as
butane gas fumes, or liquids, such as gasoline or paint
thinner, that vaporize at room temperature. Besides
gasoline and paint thinner, products with volatile
solvents include spray paint, paint and wax removers,
hair spray, odorants, air fresheners, cigarette lighter
fuels, analgesic sprays, and propellant gases used in
aerosols such as whipped cream dispensers.
Volatile solvents produce a quick form of
intoxication-excitation followed by drowsiness,
disinhibition, staggering, light-headedness, and
agitation. Because many inhalant products contain
more than one volatile solvent, it is difficult to
clearly identify in humans the specific chemical
responsible for subsequent brain or nerve damage
or death.
NITRITES
Two other popular inhalants are amyl
nitrate and butyl nitrate. Amyl nitrate was used for
heart patients and diagnostic purposes because it
dilates the blood vessels and makes the heart beat
faster. It is a clear yellowish liquid that is sold in a
cloth covered, sealed bulb. The bulbs emit a popping
or snapping sound when broken, which accounts for
the nicknames “poppers” and “snappers.” Before
1979, amyl nitrate was available without a
prescription, but as reports of abuse increased,
prescriptions were required. Now, many users have
begun to abuse butyl nitrate which is packaged in
small bottles, often marked incense, and sold under a
variety of names including “locker room” and “rush.”
The “high” from butyl nitrate lasts from a few seconds
to several minutes. Immediate effects include flushed
face, dizziness, decreased blood pressure followed by
an increased heart rate and headache.
ANESTHETICS
The principal substance of abuse in
anesthetics is nitrous oxide. A colorless, sweet-tasting
gas used by doctors and dentists for general
anesthesia, nitrousoxide is called “laughing gas”
because it often induces a state of giggling and
laughter. Nitrous oxide is often sold in large balloons
from which the gas is released and inhaled for its
mind-altering effects.
But nitrous oxide is no laughing matter.
Inhaling the gas may deplete the body of oxygen and
can result in death; prolonged use can result in
peripheral nerve damage.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF
INHALANT USE
■
Odor on breath and clothes
■
Runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes
■
■
Drowsiness
Poor muscle control
■
Presence of paraphernalia such as bags or
rags, discarded whipped cream or similar
chargers (signs of nitrous oxide use) or small
bottles (signs of butyl nitrate use)
PREVALENCE RATES
Typically first use of inhalants occurs
between late childhood and adolescence. According
to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse
(NHSDA) there were an estimated 970,000 new
inhalant users in 2000. During 2001, more than 18
million persons ages 12 and older reported using
inhalants ate lease once in their lifetime. The 2002
Monitoring the Future study report that 7.7% of 8th
graders, 5.8 percent of 10th graders, and 4.5 percent of
12th graders used inhalants in the last year. The 2001
Youth Behavior Surveillance Survey reports that 14.7
percent of high school students nationwide have
sniffed glue, breathed the contents of aerosol spray
cans, or inhaled paints and sprays to get high at least
once during their lifetime. Young teenagers are more
likely to abuse inhalants, because the chemicals used
are inexpensive and readily available. It is often the
first substance used before tobacco or alcohol.
Inhalants are more popular among younger teens
than older teens. Although chronic use is most
common in young men, the rates of use for males and
females have been converging over the past 20 years.
Although the use of inhalants rose steadily in the early
1990's, its use peaked in 1997 and has declined
significantly since then. The Drug Abuse Warning
Network (DAWN) emergency department data in
1994 reported that there were 1,511 reported
mentions, but by 2001 this number had declined to
676. Besides price and availability, the other reasons
people use an inhalant are:
■ The packaging is convenient and doesn't
look illegal;
■
The substances themselves are generally
legal;
■
The high comes on quickly and leaves the
body almost as quickly;
■
It's a temporary substitute for more expensive drugs
like marijuana, LSD, or even alcohol.
FORMS OF INHALATION
The methods for abusing inhalants are by sniffing,
huffing, bagging and spraying.
■
Sniffing: breathing in the inhalant directly from the
container; sniffing put the vapor immediately into the
lungs.
■
Huffing: soaking a rag with dissolved inhalant, putting
the rag in one's mouth, and inhaling; also, inhaling from
a solvent-soaked rag;
■
Bagging: placing the inhalant in a plastic bag, covering
the nose and/or mouth with the bag, and inhaling;
■
Spraying: spraying the inhalant directly into the nasal
or oral cavity.
INHALANTS IN THE BODY
Chemicals used for sniffing are all fat soluble, organic
substances that easily pass through the blood stream and are
metabolized in the liver and kidneys. They produce effects that
are similar to anesthetics, which act to slow down the body's
functions. The “high” begins within minutes and lasts from 15 to
45 minutes. With low doses, users may feel slightly stimulated.
With moderate amounts, users may feel less inhibited, less in
control, light headed and giddy. Large doses can cause
unconsciousness.
LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF INHALANTS
Extended use of inhalants can cause weight loss, fatigue
and an electrolyte (salt) imbalance. Repeated use can permanently
damage the nervous system, greatly reducing physical and mental
abilities. Because inhalants are easily absorbed into the
bloodstream and metabolized through the liver and kidneys, long
term sniffing can damage blood, bone marrow, the liver and
kidneys.
Deep breathing of vapors or extended use of inhalants
during a short period of time may result in other serious effects
such as loss of self control, violent behavior, unconsciousness or
death. Long term users tend to be disruptive and deviant due to
the early onset of use, the user's lack of physical and emotional
maturation, and the physical consequences of this use. Sniffing
highly concentrated solvents or aerosols can produce heart failure
and instant death. High concentrations of inhalants can also cause
death from suffocation by displacing the oxygen in the lungs.
Inhalants can also depress the central nervous system so much
that breathing slows down until it stops.
TOLERANCE AND WITHDRAWAL
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF INHALANT USE
Tolerance is defined as the need for larger doses of the drug
to produce the same effect. Tolerance develops quickly among
inhalant users. As users mature, they may seek other substances
such as marijuana, cocaine, and LSD in order to achieve that high.
Heavy or sustained use can cause physical withdrawal symptoms
within several hours to a few days after use. Withdrawal
symptoms may include sweating, rapid pulse, hand tremors,
nausea, grand mal seizure and hallucinations. Indicators of
inhalant abuse include paint or stains of the body or clothing,
spots or sores around the mouth, red or runny eyes and nose,
chemical odor on breath, excitability and/or irritability.
Inhalant users may exhibit several adverse effects
including:
REFERENCES
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Nausea
■
Ringing in the ears
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Sneezing
■
Abnormal heart rhythm
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Nosebleeds
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Feeling and looking tired
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Coughing
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Double vision
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Chemical odor on breath
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Irritation of the eyes
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Poor judgment
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Lack of coordination
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Chest pain
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Muscle and joint aches
■
Loss of appetite
How strong these effects are depends largely on the
experience and personality of the user, how much is inhaled, and
the specific substance used.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. Inhalant Abuse: Its
Dangers Are Nothing to Sniff At, 1996
Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
Understanding the Inhalant User.
Office of National Drug Control Policy, Inhalant Fact
Sheet, NCJ Publication #197105, February 2003
Funded through the Governor’s Drug-Free
Communities Program, Title IV, Safe and Drug-Free
Schools and Communities as authorized by The No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL THE FLORIDA ALCOHOL & DRUG ABUSE ASSOCIATION RESOURCE CENTER
2868 MAHAN DRIVE, SUITE 1, TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32308 TEL: (850) 878-2196 • WWW.FADAA.ORG
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