Download Andie Pusser Inhalants There are three types of inhalants: nitrates

Andie Pusser
Inhalants
There are three types of inhalants: nitrates, anesthetics, and solvents; the reason that these
three types of drugs are combined is because they are all inhaled. They have very different effects on
the body although they all produce some type of euphoria in the user. The book states that the
youngest users of drug use inhalants due to their wide availability and that these drugs are also the most
toxic.
Examples of nitrites are amyl and butyl nitrite and nitroglycerin. Some nitrites are made for
human use and side effects include dilation of the blood vessels which can cause a person to lose
consciousness if they move to rapidly and a person’s bowels may let loose. The medicinal reason to use
these drugs is for pain from blocked blood vessels, therefore cardiac patients are diagnosed these drugs.
People are known to abuse nitrites for both the psychological and physical effects. Amyl nitrite and
nitroglycerin are approved for human use; although all of these drugs if ingested can produce death
similar to the way cyanide does which is keeping oxygen from being able to bind to red blood cells. The
feelings that abusers get from the drug are as follows: warmth sensations and giddy feelings. Nitrites are
also known to cause visual problems in the form of a bright yellow spot with purple radiations.
Anesthetics include nitrous oxide and gaseous anesthesia that is used for surgery (halothane
and ether). Anesthetics are unique in this category of drugs as they were invented for human
consumption. This group includes the drugs given to patients to put them to sleep for operations. These
drugs only need to be used in small amounts for their purpose which makes them very bad for people
that abuse them. Anesthesia can cause problems in breathing, blood pressure, and heart contractions.
People typically abuse anesthetics for pain relief and to lose consciousness. Nitrous oxide has very little
harm on people that abuse it to get high as it has fewer repercussions for survival body systems (e.g.
respiration, blood flow, and gastrointestinal tract). This particular drug has fewer toxicity side effects,
although it may cause a B-12 deficiency and can keep the brain from getting oxygen that it needs; these
effects are more frequently seen when the user makes a bag or mask mechanism to deliver the drug.
Other potential harmful effects: lungs “explode” from expanding gas, complications due to B-12
deficiency which causes nerve damage (has been documented in dentists that frequently administer this
drug).
The final category of inhalants known as solvents include: paints, sprays, fuels, essentially
industrial chemicals. Solvents are incredibly harmful; the book states “if there were ever a drug to ‘just
say no’ to [these are] it.” These drugs have the potential to be just as bad for a first time user as a
habitual user. Solvents tend to elicit feelings of being under the influence of alcohol and/or anesthetics
followed by depression. The most common method of delivery is through rags soaked in these chemicals
and it is known as huffing. Frequently the most harmful side effect of solvents is that the taker is
frequently involved in a physical trauma; 26% of solvent related deaths are due to traumas associated
with impaired functioning while 28% are from suicide while high. The research that has been done on
chronic users is not very generalizable as people that participated in the studies were already ill,
although it appears that there may be cerebellum damage and also memory, attention and
concentration problems arise. When using coolants, propellants and fuel gases “sudden sniffing death”
may occur, this obviously is just sudden death.
The NIDA website breaks down these drugs into more categories. It is very confusing as to which
chemical belongs in which category, but again all that is important is the delivery method as to why
these are in the same group. Highs from these chemicals normally only last a few minutes, so abusers
may continue to inhale over extended periods of time, however the user may have lasting feelings of
drowsiness for a few hours. Addiction does not often occur; about .01 percent of people in treatment
for substances are there because of an inhalant problem. Interest in these drugs normally lessens as a
person ages. Scary stuff. 5.0