Danger Right Under Your Nose
By the staff of Heartland Human Services
Do you have any of the following items in your household: aerosols (including hair spray and cleaning products), white out, ammonia, antifreeze, bleach, car wax, freon, furniture polish, oven cleaner, paint thinner, spray paint, butane, typewriter correction fluid, or nail polish remover? If you said yes to any of the previously listed items, then you have a substance or substances in your household that can be used for a pleasurable high and could lead to death. These substances may be bought in many stores and ID is not needed for the purchase of these items. These substances, known as inhalants, are considered to be a drug due to their ability to alter a person's mood and/or behaviors. There are more than 1,000 household products that can be used to get high.
Inhalants are divided into four separate categories:
- Volatile gases and solvents - lighter fluid, barbecue grill gas, spray paint, paint thinner and glue.
- Aerosols - hair spray, deodorants, room deodorizer, and other pressurized products.
- Nitrates - butyl nitrites (also known as "Rush", "Locker Room", "Bolt", and "Climax"), and amyl nitrates (also known as "poppers and "snappers").
- Anesthetic gases - nitrous oxide (also know as "Laughing Gas" and "Whippets").
Inhalants can be used by sniffing (breathing the vapors through the nose), huffing (breathing the vapors through the mouth), and bagging (inhaling the vapors through a bag). According to statistics, inhalants are the third most abused substances among 12-14 year olds. Inhalants are popular among adolescents because they are very affordable, easy to access, easy to use, and legal. Inhalants are toxins and are not intended to be put in the human body, therefore, the first time a person tries inhalants death could be the end result. This is known as Sudden Sniffing Death (SSD) syndrome - where powerful surges of adrenaline cause the heart to "short circuit".
Inhalants are very difficult to detect. There are some warning signs of which people can be aware. For instance, red and/or runny eyes and nose, sores around the mouth, drunk or dazed appearance, nausea, loss of appetite, anxiety or irritability, paint or stains on the body or clothing, a chemical odor on the breath, sitting with a marker near the nose, or with correction fluid on fingernails. Chronic inhalant abusers may also appear anxious, easily excited, irritable and restless. Withdrawal from inhalants could include hand tremors, headaches, nervousness, and sweating. Initial sensations after use may include euphoria, hallucinations, sneezing, coughing, flushed skin, nausea and vomiting. The central nervous system can also be affected. These effects may include disorientation, blurred vision, cramps, headaches, loss of self-control, drowsiness, reduced coordination, slurred speech, reduced reflexes, dazed feeling, bizarre dreams, seizures, stupor, delirium, or unconsciousness. Unfortunately, abusers are prone to long-term physical effects such as nosebleeds, bloodshot eyes, weight loss, mouth and nose sores, thirst, tremors, hostility, depression, fatigue, inability to think clearly, paranoia, and amnesia.
What are the risks of inhalant use? Chronic users can suffer severe and permanent brain damage, as well as, loss of consciousness, irreversible damage to the liver, kidneys, and bone marrow. In some cases of future pregnancies, damage may occur to chromosome or the fetus. Prolonged inhalant use can result in headaches, muscle weakness, abdominal pain, decrease or loss of sense of smell, nausea and nosebleeds, hepatitis, violent behavior, irregular heartbeat, nervous system damage, dangerous chemical imbalances in the body, and involuntary passing of urine and feces. According to medical experts, death from inhalants can occur in the following ways: asphyxia, suffocation, choking on vomit, careless and dangerous behaviors in potentially dangerous settings, and sudden sniffing death syndrome, presumably from cardiac arrest.
Some of the previously listed items, such as white out, can be purchased as a water-based item. This water-based version may not work as well as regular white out, but you cannot get high off of the water-based white out. For more information regarding inhalants or other mind-altering chemicals, please contact Heartland Human Services.