Data from NIDA-funded surveys indicate the following patterns of inhalant abuse:. Other research shows patterns of gender differences in the use of inhalants. Boys are more likely to abuse inhalants in grades 4 through 6 and also grades 10 through 12, but boys and girls in grades 7 through 9 have similar rates of inhalant abuse.
Inhalant abuse is found in both urban and rural youth and socioeconomic conditions seem to be more significant contributing factors to inhalant abuse than racial or cultural factors, the NIDA reports.
Compared to most illicit drugs, inhalants are misused by a very small percentage of the population, but their use is significant among young children. In , there were an estimated 1. The National Institute on Drug Abuse's Monitoring the Future survey confirms that younger children 8th graders use inhalants more than older children 10th and 12th graders , but overall inhalant use has declined significantly since the s.
Monitoring the Future data also shows that Hispanic 8th- and 10th-graders have the highest rates of inhalant misuse, compared with White and Black 8th-graders. Within the 8th-grade age group, 8. Inhalants are breathed in through the nose or mouth and are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs causing an almost instant high. Some of the ways that inhalants are used include:. Some of the methods used to sniff inhalants are designed specifically to try to cover up the activity.
Sometimes users will place inhalants on the collars or sleeves of their shirts, or on other items of clothing so that they can inhale the fumes while in school or at work. The inhalants are placed in soda cans and inhaled from the can. Or they are sprayed into a balloon. Sometimes they are even sprayed inside a backpack. Some school items such as correction fluid or felt-tip markers can be inhaled, making their use easy to disguise as normal use in school or at work.
None of these methods are safe. Placing inhalants in containers like soda cans, plastic or paper bags can intensify the vapors. Each year many children die from inhalant misuse or suffer severe health consequences including permanent brain damage, loss of muscle control, and destruction of the heart, blood, kidney, liver, and bone marrow. Regardless of which of the above methods are used, inhalants produce intoxicating effects within seconds of inhalation.
Users can experience slurred speech, uncoordinated movements, euphoria, dizziness, lightheadedness, hallucinations , and delusions. One of the dangers of inhalant misuse lies in the fact that the high lasts for only a few minutes, prompting users to inhale over and over to try to maintain the feeling. If repeated too often, inhaling can cause a loss of consciousness and possibly death. Inhalant users report feeling less inhibited and less in control.
Heavy users will feel sleepy for several hours afterward and experience lingering headaches. Scientists believe that most inhalants affect many different systems of the brain to produce their anesthetic, intoxicating and reinforcing effects. Depending on the chemical being inhaled, the effects can vary widely—some act as stimulants , while others act as depressants.
When some chemicals are inhaled, they can initially act like stimulants, but as the effects wear off, the user's senses can become depressed.
Most inhalants produce a pleasurable effect by depressing the user's central nervous system. The "high" inhalant users achieve is short-lived, usually only lasting a few minutes. Sometimes this will cause the user to inhale repeatedly, which can cause them to become dizzy or dazed. Some have trouble walking. Repeated users can become aggressive or begin to hallucinate or they can pass out or even die as a result.
Research with animals indicates that many inhalants have similar neurobehavioral effects and mechanisms of action to other substances that depressed the central nervous system, including alcohol , sedatives , and anesthetics. One animal study showed that toluene, an ingredient in many inhalants of misuse, activates the dopamine system in the brain in similar ways to nearly all other drugs of misuse.
Inhalant use can produce a variety of effects on the user that begin within seconds after the substance is breathed into the lungs.
Initially, the effects of solvent and gas inhalants can mimic alcohol intoxication and excitation which is soon followed by drowsiness, lightheadedness, disinhibition, and agitation. With the inhalation of increased amounts of these type inhalants, they can produce anesthesia and lead to unconsciousness.
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.
View Center. Denver, CO. If you or someone you know has an Inhalant addiction, contact a treatment provider. After graduation, he decided to pursue his passion of writing and editing. All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional. Theresa is also a Certified Professional Life Coach and volunteers at a local mental health facility helping individuals who struggle with homelessness and addiction.
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