Inhalant Abuse:  It's Deadly

Help and Advocacy  -  More Information

Drugs & Teen Substance Abuse

Inhalants are breathable chemical vapors

that produce psychoactive (mind-altering) effects. 

Although people are exposed to volatile solvents and other inhalants in the home, at school, and in the workplace, many do not think of inhalable substances as drugs because most of them were never meant to be used in that way.

Types of inhalants

• Solvents

  • industrial or household solvents or solvent-containing products, including paint thinners or solvents, degreasers (dry-cleaning fluids), gasoline, and glues

  • art or office supply solvents, including correction fluids, felt-tip marker fluid, and electronic contact cleaners

• Gases

  • gases used in household or commercial products, including butane lighters and propane tanks, whipping cream aerosols or dispensers (whippets), and refrigerant gases

  • household aerosol propellants and associated solvents in items such as spray paints, hair or deodorant sprays, and fabric protector sprays

  • medical anesthetic gases, such as ether, chloroform, halothane, and nitrous oxide (laughing gas)

• Nitrites

  • aliphatic nitrites, including cyclohexyl nitrite, which is available to the general public; amyl nitrite, which is available only by prescription; and butyl nitrite, which is now an illegal substance.

The dangers of using inhalants

Although different in makeup, nearly all abused inhalants produce effects similar to anesthetics, which act to slow down the body's functions.  When inhaled via the nose or mouth into the lungs in sufficient concentrations, inhalants can cause intoxicating effects.

Intoxication can last only a few minutes or several hours if inhalants are taken repeatedly.  Initially, users may feel slightly stimulated.  With successive inhalations, they may feel less inhibited and less in control.  Finally, a user can lose consciousness.

Sniffing highly concentrated amounts of the chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can directly induce heart failure and death.  This is especially common from the abuse of fluorocarbons and butane-type gases.

High concentrations of inhalants also cause death from suffocation by displacing oxygen in the lungs and then in the central nervous system so that breathing ceases.

Other irreversible effects caused by inhaling specific solvents

• Hearing loss - toluene (paint sprays, glues, dewaxers) and trichloroethylene (cleaning fluids, correction fluids)

• Peripheral neuropathies or limb spasms - hexane (glues, gasoline) and nitrous oxide (whipping cream, gas cylinders)

• Central nervous system or brain damage - toluene (paint sprays, glues, dewaxers)

• Bone marrow damage - benzene (gasoline)

Amyl and butyl nitrites have been associated with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), the most common cancer reported among AIDS patients.  Early studies of KS showed that many people with KS had used volatile nitrites.  Researchers are continuing to explore the hypothesis of nitrites as a factor contributing to the development of KS in HIV-infected people.

Serious but potentially reversible effects 

• Liver and kidney damage - toluene-containing substances and chlorinated hydrocarbons (correction fluids, dry-cleaning fluids)

• Blood oxygen depletion - organic nitrites (poppers, bold, and rush) and methylene chloride (varnish removers, paint thinners)

Death from inhalants

Death from inhalants is usually caused by a very high concentration of fumes.  Deliberately inhaling from an attached paper or plastic bag or in a closed area greatly increases the chances of suffocation.  Even when using aerosols or volatile products for their legitimate purposes (i.e., painting, cleaning), it is wise to do so in a well-ventilated room or outdoors.

Prevention and Treatment

National surveys indicate that more than 12.5  million Americans have abused inhalants at least once in their lives.  Initial use of inhalants often starts early, often in elementary school.  According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), approximately one in five eighth-graders have abused inhalants.  Most inhalant abuse occurs after dinner between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

• Talk with your child about not experimenting with inhalants.

• Request a free copy of A Parent's Guide to Preventing Inhalant Abuse by calling the National Inhalants Prevention Coalition at 1-800-269-4237.

• Discuss this problem openly and stress the devastating and life-threatening consequences of inhalant abuse.

• Be alert for symptoms and signs of inhalant abuse.

• If you suspect there's a problem, seek professional help immediately.

Immediate treatment is directed at reversing life-threatening symptoms.  A calm, quiet atmosphere should be provided to prevent adrenalin surge which can bring about cardiac arrhythmia and cause Sudden Sniffing Death (SSD).  Know what to do in an emergency.

Compulsive use and a mild withdrawal syndrome can occur with long-term inhalant abuse.  Research suggests that chronic or long-term inhalant abusers are among the most difficult to treat and they may experience multiple psychological and social problems.  There is more chance of recovery the earlier intervention begins.

Drugs & Teen Substance Abuse

How can you tell if a young person may be an inhalant abuser?

• Apathetic behavior or depression.

• Unusual breath odor or chemical odor on clothing.

• Slurred or disoriented speech.

• Drunk, dazed, or dizzy appearance.

• Signs of paint or other products where they wouldn't normally be, such as on face or fingers.

• Red or runny eyes and/or nose, including nosebleeds.

• Spots and/or sores around the mouth.

• Nausea, excessive vomiting, and/or loss of appetite.

• Chronic inhalant abusers may exhibit such symptoms as anxiety, excitability, irritability, or restlessness.

What are other signs of inhalant abuse?

• Sitting with a pen or marker near nose.

• Constantly smelling clothing sleeves.

• Showing paint or stain marks on face, fingers, or clothing.

• Hiding rugs, clothes, or empty containers of the potentially abused products in closets and other places.

What products are abused?

• Glues and adhesives

• Nail polish remover

• Marking pens

• Paint thinner

• Spray paint

• Butane lighter fluid

• Gasoline

• Propane gas

• Cooking gases (Sterno)

• Correction fluid

• Household cleaners

• Spray air fresheners

• Cooking sprays

• Spray deodorants

• Hair spray

• Whipping cream aerosols

• Air conditioning coolants (e.g., freon)

How are inhalants used?

• "Sniffing" or "snorting" fumes from containers

• Spraying aerosols directly into the nose or mouth

• "Bagging" -- sniffing or inhaling fumes from substances sprayed or deposited inside a plastic or paper bag

• "Huffing" from an inhalant-soaked rag stuffed in the mouth

• Inhaling from balloons filled with nitrous oxide

Help and Advocacy

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI)

1-800-729-6686

National Inhalants Prevention Coalition

1-800-269-4237

Re-Solv (UK)

01785 817885

More Information on Inhalants

'Huffing' Household Chemicals Connected to Teen Suicide ~ With suicide as the third leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States, a University of Denver study reveals inhaling or "huffing" vapors of common household goods, such as glue or nail polish, are associated with increased suicidal thoughts and attempts.

Inhalant Prevention Resource Guide for Educators, Grades K-12 (pdf) ~ This resource guide was developed for use with students in grades K-12, and is designed for adult use with information, a prevention framework, sample lessons, materials, and resources.  It can be augmented with other curricula and activities, and can be integrated into different subject areas.  The materials and concepts are also adaptable for special needs students.

Inhalant-Related Psychiatric Disorders ~ The inhalation of these substances can cause permanent organ damage and death.  Huffing is a problem in the United States and abroad, and it accounts for a large portion of emergency department visits.  This paper addresses the diagnosis of inhalant-related psychiatric disorders, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders DSM-IV-TR.

Inhalants ~ Comprehensive evidence-based article by health professionals.  Excellent.

Lifetime Use of Inhalants by 8th-Graders Continues to Increase as Perception of Risk Declines (pdf)

Research Report on Inhalant Abuse ~ Through scientific research, we have learned much about the nature and extent of inhalant abuse, its pharmacology, and its consequences.  This research has brought the picture of inhalant abuse in our Nation into focus and pointed to the dangers and the warning signs for parents, educators, and clinicians.

Ricky Joe Stem, Jr. Memorial ~ In memory of 16-year-old Ricky Joe Stem, Jr. who died from Sudden Sniffing Death (SSD) and information on the danger of inhalant abuse.

Tragedy in the Household ~ Dr. Richard Heiss tells about the huffing death of his son, Wade.

Youths Die By Inhaling Household Substances ~ Long term abuse of inhalants has been linked to damage to the optic nerve, diminishment of cognitive abilities, and kidney, liver, and bone diseases.  They can eventually lead to various kinds of organic brain syndromes, convulsions, coma, or even cardiac arrest.   Worse yet, according to medical professionals, is the fact that few young people are successfully resuscitated following inhalant induced cardiac arrythmias.  Statistically, most children that suffer cardiac arrest are eventually pronounced dead.  For some, the initial reaction to inhalant can cause almost immediate death.