Inhalants

QUESTION: What do nail polish,paint andglue havein common?

ANSWER: They can:

be found at home or school
be inhaled by people looking for a quick high
cause damage to the body including the brain
STINK.

Inhaling (also called "huffing" or "sniffing") chemicals has become a problem for many people including teenagers. Inhalants are cheap and can be found everywhere - in kitchens, garages andschools. There are hundreds of different materials that can be abused bypeople who inhale these dangerous chemicals. Inhalants not only damagethe nervous system, but other organs such as the lungs, liver,heart and kidney can be injured permanently.

DANGER
Extremely Flammable
Harmful of Fatal If Swallowed
Vapors May Cause Fire

DANGER: Keep away from heat and flame. If swallowed or ifexcessive inhalation occurs resulting in abnormal reactions includingdizziness or nausea, contact a physician. Intentional misuse bydeliberately concentrating and inhaling contents may be harmful or fatal.

(From a warning label on waterproofing spray)

Product	Chemical Content
Variety of Inhalants
Hair Spray	Fluorinated hydrocarbons; propane;isobutane
Nitrous Oxide	Nitrous Oxide
Cleaning Fluids	Chlorinated hydrocarbons; naphtha
Typewriter Correction Fluid	Trichloroethane;trichloroethylene
Nail Polish Remover	Acetone; aliphatic acetates;benzene
Gasoline	Hydrocarbons; tetraethyl lead
Glue; rubber cement	Toluene; acetone, benzene; xylene;ethanol; chloroform
Paint/Paint Thinner	Toluene; methylene chloride; benzene,ethanol
Lighter Fluid	Hydrocarbons
Room Deodorizers	Amyl, butyl and isobutyl nitrite
Marker pens	Toluene; xylene

Effects of Inhalants on the Nervous System

Whenvapors are inhaled (1),they are absorbed through the lungs (2) and enter the bloodstream (3). Once in the bloodstream, the chemicals travel to the brain (4) and othertissues throughout the body. Most inhalants that are abused depress thefunctioning of the nervous system. However, the effects of each inhalantare difficult to determine since each product in made up many differentchemicals and each person may breath in different amounts of eachchemical. Nevertheless, these chemicals do have significant effects onthe nervous system.

Some of the effects of inhalants are like alcohol. The immediate effectsof inhalants include:

relaxation
slurred speech
euphoria
hallucinations
drowsiness
dizziness
nausea
vomiting
DEATH - from heart failure or suffocating on plastic bags or vomit.

Long term use of inhalants can cause:

memory loss
concentration problems
visual disturbances; blindness
motor problems
peripheral nerve damage

Nervous System Targets of Inhalants

Inhalants may affect differentparts the brain and nervous systemwhich will cause a variety of sensory, motor, psychological andemotional problems. One major effect of inhalants is the destruction of the myelin sheath that surrounds neurons. This can result in problems inthe normal transmission of impulses through neurons and cell death.

Specificareas of the brain targeted by inhalants include:

Cerebral cortex: damage can cause changes inpersonality,memory loss, hallucinations and learning problems.
Cerebellum: damage can cause problems inbalance andmovement.
Hippocampus: damage may result in the memoryproblems.
Visual System: damage to the peripheral nervesmay cause visualdisturbances.

Did you know?
Nitrous oxide was discovered in 1776 by Sir Joseph Priestley. In1799, Sir Humphrey Davy suggested that nitrous oxide could be used duringsurgery to reduce pain.

For moreinformation on inhalant abuse, see:
Factline onInhalants
Huffing can be deadly
HuffingDangers
Inhalantabuse kills with little public attention - from CNN (March 22, 1999)
Inhalant Abuse
InhalantAbuse - from Boston Univ. Medical Center
InhalantAbuse - from the National Institute on Drug Abuse
InhalantResource Guide
National Inhalant PreventionCoalition
Sudden Sniffing Death
Sudden Sniffing Death - Changing Trends
Youths die byinhaling household substances

GOTO:	Alcohol	Amphetamines	Caffeine	Cocaine
	Heroin	Inhalants	LSD	Marijuana
	Nicotine	Ecstasy	Rohypnol