A devastating one in five youth reported using an inhalant to get high by the time they reached the eighth grade. In honor of National Inhalants and Poison Awareness Week, it is imperative to educate ourselves and others about the dangers of inhalants.
Inhalants can be described as volatile substances that produce chemical vapors that can be inhaled to induce a psychoactive, or mind altering effect. Inhalants can be divided into four different categories based on the form in which they are found in household, industrial, and medical products. These include: volatile solvents, aerosols, gases, and nitrites.
Volatile Solvents are liquids that vaporize at room temperatures. They can be found in many inexpensive household products such as paint thinners, removers, gasoline, glue, correction fluid, and felt-tip marker fluids.
Aerosols are sprays that contain propellants and solvents such as hair spray, deodorant spray, spray paint, and vegetable or cooking spray.
Gases can be used to describe medical anesthetics and gases found in household products. Gases can be found in butane lighters, propane tanks, whipped cream sprays and refrigerants.
Nitrites are often considered a special class of inhalants because they act as a muscle relaxer. Cyclohexl Nitrite can be found in room odorizers and Amyl Nitrate is sometimes sold illegally on the street as "poppers."
The effects of inhalants can be deadly. Prolonged sniffing or "huffing" of highly concentrated chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can induce an irregular heart rhythm and can lead to heart failure and death within minutes of the prolonged sniffing. Inhalant abuse can also lead to death by asphyxiation, suffocation, choking, or fatal injury from accidents suffered while intoxicated.
Early detection and intervention are the best ways to stop inhalant abuse before it leads to serious health problems, or even death. There are several ways to identify a serious inhalant abuse problem: chemical odors on childs breath or clothing; paint or other stains on face, hands or clothes; hidden empty spray paint cans or chemical soaked rags; drunk or disoriented appearance; nausea, loss of appetite, or slurred speech; and lack of coordination, irritability or depression.
Inhalants are very deadly substances and every parent and child should know the facts. You can prevent the use of inhalants by spreading the word of the dangers they pose. Talk to your children about the deadly effects of inhalants. For more information, you can contact a pharmacist at Medical West at 481-7112.