Inhalants are chemicals that
produce vapors that have psychoactive effects. Adolescents, especially those who
may not have enough money for drugs, usually try inhalants. Kids, ages 9 - 12,
may begin to abuse inhalants. Abuse usually peaks in adolescence. Parents should
be aware that teenage users are found in all racial, socioeconomic, engender
groups. Many users come from broken families or families that have been affected
by alcohol or drug problems. They may also have difficulty in school such as
truancy and poor grades.
The most commonly abused
inhalants include:
aerosols
gasoline
paint thinners
spray paints
model airplane glue
cleaning fluids
typewriter correction
fluid
kerosene
butane
laughing gas
There are several
methods used to inhale these intoxicating fumes.
Some users soak a rag in
the substance, place it against his or her mouth or nose and then
inhale.
Others place the substance
in a paper or plastic bag and inhale.
Others inhale the vapors
directly from the container it is in.
Like a lot of other drugs, regular use
of inhalants leads to tolerance; this means the user has to inhale more of the
drug to get high. And although many people think inhalants are safe, they
aren't! The risk for accidents increases when people use inhalants because they
do not think clearly, act violently or place themselves in dangerous situations.
Suffocation:
inhalant displaces the
oxygen in the lungs
plastic bags covering
their heads to inhale the substance
inhaling vomit into their
lungs while they are high
Chronic users can suffer
from serious medical complications:
death may occur from
depression of the central nervous system
instant, fatal heart
failure (even during first use)