Inhalants
The people most likely to use inhalants are children ages 12 to 17 years old. Although drug abuse among that age group is in decline, the abuse of inhalants has remained steady for years. In fact, about 17 percent of all eight graders have tried "glue sniffing."
Children use inhalants to get high often because it is too hard for them to obtain marijuana, alcohol and other drugs. Inhalants, as the name implies, are substances that are sniffed through the nose or mouth to achieve a mind-altering effect that can last from a few seconds to half an hour. The effect might be mild, such as a feeling of dizziness or lightheadedness, or it can be more intense, such as visual hallucinations.
Some common inhalants are gasoline, lighter fluid, correction fluid, cleaning fluids and felt tip markers. Children also like to sniff substances in aerosol cans, such as cooking oils, hair spray and spray paint.
The most desirable inhalants are asthma inhalers and "poppers." Poppers are capsules for heart patients, who have to "pop" them open in their hands to release amyl nitrate. This drug relieves their heart pain and dilates their arteries. Breathing amyl nitrate fumes is dangerous because it can damage the corneas of the eyes.
"Glue sniffing" is not as harmless as it might seem. Every year, about 1,800 people need emergency medical treatment because of inhalants. Children who try to intensify the effects by putting paper bags over their heads have died from suffocation. Glue and paint thinners can cause kidney damage.
Other problems that develop because of inhalant abuse including the following:
- Memory impairment
- Loss of concentration
- Lowered intelligence
- Weight loss
- Depression
- Irritability
Some people do become habitual users, and even carry around rags soaked in gasoline so they have a "constant supply." Counselors who work with abusers report that they can go experience mild withdrawal symptoms and extreme difficulty when they try to break their habit.
