Drug Introduction: Inhalants
Introduction
Addiction is considered as a disease, where individuals cannot stop using even when the consequences and conditions are causing serious harms. Addiction is always associated with mental health problems, for instance, depression, because a number of the substances are being used to “self-medicate”. People can develop addictions to alcohol, marijuana, pain killers, cocaine, and tobacco. In this brochure, we will focus on inhalants.
Fun fact in a box: Besides addiction, there is another disease which is very similar to it named substance use behaviour. Different from addiction, anyone with substance abuse problems are able to quit or change.
So what are inhalants?
Inhalants refers to the numerous substances that people can take only by inhaling, another word for breathing in. When people breathe the substance in, they can get the feeling of “high”. If they do this action repeatedly, there is a chance of getting addicted to the substance. The various types of inhalants can be easily found and bought in home or stores, such as spray paints, markers, glues, and cleaning fluids. We will discuss this substance in detail in the next pages.
What are the characteristics of inhalants?
Although other substances besides inhalants can be used by inhaling, inhalants are the substances that can ONLY be inhaled.
The several ways to inhale them can include:
Sniffing or snorting vapors from inhalant containers
Spraying aerosols directly into the nose or mouth
Bagging fumes from chemicals sprayed or placed in a plastic or paper bag
Huffing a rag soaked in inhalants and held to the face or stuffed into the mouth
Inhaling from balloons filled with nitrous oxide
The “high” only lasts a few minutes by taking the substance, people often try to make it last several hours by inhaling over and over again.
What are the different types of inhalants?
First, let’s talk about volatile solvent. Volatile solvents are typically the liquids that vaporize at room temperature. They are found in: paint thinners and removers, dry cleaning fluids, degreasers, gasoline glues, correction fluids, marker fluids, and electronic contact cleaners.
The second type of inhalants is the gases. Gases include household or commercial products such as: butane (from lighters), propane (gas grills), and cooling system fluids, medical anesthetic gases, such as ether, chloroform, halothane, and nitrous oxide. Ether, and nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas” and chloroform are used as anesthesia, which are to make patients lose sensation during surgeries.
The third type is the Aerosols. Some household aerosol items include: spray paint, hair and deodorant sprays, whipped cream dispensers, fabric protector sprays, and vegetable oil cooking sprays
Lastly, let’s take a look at Nitrites. nitrites are used primarily as sexual enhancers. Some examples include video head cleaner, room odorizer, leather cleaner, and liquid aroma.
Who uses the inhalants?
In Canada most of the people who use inhalants are from 10 to 16 years old. Most of them try the substance only once or twice. But there are also some people who are addicted to them heavily. A survey conducted in 2011 reported that 5.6% of Ontario students in grade 7 to 12 have sniffed glue or solvents at least one in the past year. The same report showed the highest rate of use, 12.2% of students in grade 7.
Approximately 9% of American population has abused, used, or become addicted to inhalants at some point in their lives. The most at-risk group for inhalants is the people under the age of 18. Moreover, the average age of first use inhalants is 13 years old in America.
What are some consequences of inhalants?
Short term effects:
People who use inhalants can experience slurred speech, uncoordinated movements, euphoria, dizziness, lightheadedness, hallucinations, and delusions. As mentioned before, if one takes the substance over and over again for a few hours, inhaling can cause a loss of consciousness and possibly death.
Short term effects can be very dangerous. One can suffocate by inhaling repeatedly that leads to high concentrations of inhaled fumes, which displace available oxygen in the lungs, or choke on a plastic head. One can also experience comas, when the brain shuts down with all the most vital functions; Users can lose their lives from car accidents, when they drive when on the high.
Long term effects:
Regular inhalant abusers might have severe kidney and liver damage. Some long-term effects of inhalant abuse are irreversible, including brain damage, central nervous system damage, hearing loss, limb spasms, and bone marrow damage.
Case studies have shown that children of women who abused inhalants during pregnancy were developmentally impaired. NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) research indicates that inhalant abuse while pregnant can result in reduced birth weights, occasional skeletal abnormalities, and delayed central nervous development and other effects.
Withdrawal Symptoms:
Similar to other substances, inhalants can lead to withdrawal symptoms if the person quit abusing inhalants. These symptoms are:
Panic, anxiety, and mood swings
Rapid pulse
Hallucinations
Physical and emotional agitation
Nausea or vomiting
Sweating
Shaking or tremors
Signs of using inhalants
If you see people who have these signs, there is a large possibility that they have used, abused, or addicted to inhalants. The signs include:
Smell of paint or chemical on clothing, skin, or breath
Stains found on hands or face
Slurred speech
Nausea or vomiting
Acting drunk or disoriented
Exhausted or fatigued for a few hours for no reason
Heavy breathing
What are the supports?
Hot lines and text chats:
Emergencies; 911
911 is in charge of life and death emergencies.
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868
Kids Help Phone’s non-judgmental, inclusive services are available to young people across Canada.
Conex Ontario: Addiction, Mental Health, and Problem Gambling Services: 1-866-531-2600
ConnexOntario provides free and confidential health services information for people experiencing problems with alcohol and drugs, mental illness or gambling
Telehealth: 1-866-797-0000
Telehealth Ontario is a free, confidential service you can call to get health advice or information.
Drug Rehab
Terradyne Wellness Center (610 Myers Point Road, Head of Jeddore, NS B0J) (902) 700-7637
Freedom From Addiction (33 Victoria Street, Aurora, ON L4G) Phone call: (289) 769-8783
EHN Canada Outpatient Services (175 Brentcliffe Road Toronto, ON M4G) (647) 697-9148
Hospitals:
Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital (10 Trench St. Richmond Hill, ON L4C 4Z3 (Local to Richmond Hill: 905-883-1212)
Inhalants DrugFacts. (2020, July 24). National Institute on Drug Abuse. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/inhalants
NIDA. (2005, January 1). NIDA Community Drug Alert Bulletin - Inhalants. Retrieved from https://archives.drugabuse.gov/publications/nida-community-drug-alert-bulletin-inhalants on 2021, April 23
Editorial Staff. (2019, June 10). Inhalants Abuse | Inhalants Drugs | Huffing Inhalants. American Addiction Centers. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/inhalant-abuse
Howard, Bowen, Garland, Perron, Vaughn, M. S. E. B. M. (2011, July 1). Inhalant Use and Inhalant Use Disorders in the United States. PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3188822/
T, B. (2020, October 21). Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions About Inhalants. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/inhalants-frequently-asked-questions-67466
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