The Dangers of Inhalants: What You Need to Know

Inhalants, commonly known as glue, gas, or solvents, encompass various substances with street names like whippets (nitrous oxide) and poppers (nitrites). What exactly are inhalants, and what are the risks associated with their use? This comprehensive guide provides insights into the world of inhalants, their effects, and important safety considerations.

What Are Inhalants?

Inhalants are chemical vapors or gases that, when inhaled, induce a “high” or altered state of consciousness. Many substances used as inhalants, such as glue, gasoline, cleaning solvents, and aerosols, serve legitimate purposes but were never intended for human consumption. They are easily accessible, affordable, and legal, making them appealing to individuals, especially children and young adults.

How Do Inhalants Work?

All inhalants are absorbed through the lungs and rapidly enter the bloodstream, leading to immediate but short-lived intoxication. Different types of inhalants produce varying effects.

During inhalant use, individuals inhale or “huff” the substance while simultaneously depriving their lungs and brain of oxygen. This unique action results in a high once the substance is consumed, followed by the reintroduction of oxygen into the respiratory system.

How Do Inhalants Work

What Do Inhalants Look Like?

Inhalants encompass a variety of forms, each distinguished by its unique characteristics:

  • Volatile Solvents: Among the most commonly used inhalants, these substances have the capacity to evaporate upon exposure to air and can dissolve a range of materials. Notable examples include benzene, toluene, and acetone, which can be found in products like gasoline, cleaning fluids, and hobby glue.
  • Aerosol or Spray Cans: Products such as hairspray, spray paint, and cooking spray contain pressurized liquids or gases, including substances like fluorocarbon and butane. Some aerosols also incorporate solvents into their formulations.
  • Gases: This category encompasses medical anesthetics such as nitrous oxide, often referred to as “laughing gas,” as well as chloroform. Additionally, commercially available products like butane lighters and propane tanks contain gases that fall into this inhalant category.
  • Nitrites: Amyl nitrite, butyl nitrite, and cyclohexyl nitrite, commonly known as “poppers,” exhibit distinct effects and availability compared to other inhalants.

Is There a Safe Dose?

Most inhalants are highly toxic and can lead to sudden death. Unlike other substances, there is no such thing as a safe or recreational dose for volatile solvents, aerosols, and street inhalants. Their psychoactive effects are inseparable from nerve and organ damage. It is strongly discouraged to use any amount of these substances, even for minor experimentation.

What Are Inhalants

Effects of Inhalants

Inhalants can induce a high within minutes of use, which may last up to 45 minutes without additional inhalation. Some users continue inhaling to sustain the effects for several hours. As the high wears off, individuals may experience drowsiness and a hangover with headaches lasting up to several days. The effects of nitrous oxide and nitrites are immediate and short-lived.

Inhaled solvents typically produce effects similar to alcohol but with a more pronounced distortion of perception, including changes in the shape, size, and color of objects, as well as alterations in time and space perception. Nitrous oxide induces a dreamy mental state, loss of motor control, hallucinations, and an increased pain threshold. Nitrites dilate blood vessels, causing a “rush,” along with headaches, dizziness, nausea, and flushing.

Mental Effects Include:

  • Feeling giddy, outgoing, confident
  • Euphoria, vivid fantasies
  • Feeling sleepy, hazy

Physical Effects Include:

  • Dizziness, lack of coordination
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Blurred vision
  • Sneezing and coughing
  • Staggering
  • Slow reflexes
  • Sensitivity to light

Side Effects and Cautions

Inhalants can be extremely toxic, leading to nerve and organ damage, and even fatal outcomes. It is strongly advised to avoid inhalant use, even for experimental purposes.

Most inhalants are also highly flammable, and interactions with lit cigarettes or flames can result in deadly accidents.

Different types of inhalants carry specific dangers:

Solvents and Aerosols:

  • Suffocation: Solvents are often inhaled from a plastic bag, which can lead to unconsciousness and suffocation.
  • Dangerous Behavior: Inhalant use may lead to risky and destructive behavior.
  • Sudden Sniffing Death (SSD): Prolonged inhalation of concentrated inhalants can cause a rapid and irregular heartbeat, potentially resulting in death from heart failure.
  • Serious Health Problems: Regular solvent use can damage organs such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, brain, bones, and blood. Some damage may be permanent.
  • Fetal Solvent Syndrome: Inhalant use during pregnancy can result in premature birth, birth defects, or stillbirth.

Nitrous Oxide:

  • Oxygen Deprivation Risk: Inhaling pure nitrous oxide can result in oxygen deprivation, potentially leading to fatal consequences.
  • Loss of Motor Skills: Individuals using nitrous oxide may experience a loss of motor control, increasing the likelihood of accidental falls and injuries.
  • Frostbite Concerns: The extremely cold nature of this gas can cause skin to freeze upon contact, while the pressure within the tank can pose risks to lung health.
  • Nerve Impairment: Prolonged use of nitrous oxide, even with adequate oxygen levels, may harm nerves, resulting in sensations of numbness, weakness, and a diminished sense of balance.

Nitrites:

  • Risky Sexual Behavior: The use of nitrites is linked to an elevated risk of contracting HIV and hepatitis due to unsafe sexual practices.
  • Weakened Immune System: Recent animal studies indicate that nitrites may hinder the immune system’s ability to fend off infectious diseases.

Potential Long-Term Effects:

The lasting consequences of inhalant use vary depending on the specific substance involved. Some effects may persist permanently, while others can improve with discontinuation of use. Organs such as the brain, liver, and kidneys are particularly susceptible. Prolonged inhalant use can also result in permanent hearing loss and damage to bone marrow.

General Long-Term Effects:

  • Reddish and bloodshot eyes
  • Sores developing on the nose and mouth
  • Frequent nosebleeds
  • Skin appearing pale
  • Persistent thirst and weight loss
  • Difficulty with concentration, memory, and clear thinking
  • Ongoing feelings of fatigue, depression, irritability, hostility, and paranoia

Specific Long-Term Effects for Certain Inhalants:

For Solvents:

  • Sensations of numbness, weakness, tremors, and coordination difficulties in the arms and legs

For Toluene or Naphthalene:

  • Damage to nerve fibers within the brain, resulting in a neurological condition reminiscent of multiple sclerosis

Therapeutic Purposes

Inhalants have no therapeutic uses. However, “poppers” (alkyl nitrites) are occasionally used during anal sex to dilate blood vessels and relax muscles for increased comfort.

Harm Reduction Tips

To mitigate the potential harms of inhalant use, consider the following safety measures:

  1. Don’t Use Alone: Always have a buddy when using inhalants to ensure safety.
  2. Choose Paper Bags: Opt for paper bags instead of plastic ones or spray into a drink bottle.
  3. Use Smaller Bags: Smaller bags reduce the risk of suffocation.
  4. Take Breaks: Allow sufficient time between inhalant use sessions to let your body recover oxygen.
  5. No Smoking While Sniffing: Avoid smoking during inhalant use, and keep inhalant products away from open flames or excessive heat, as they can be flammable or explosive.
  6. Aerosol Can Safety: If using aerosol cans, turn them upside down before spraying into the bag to reduce the inhalation of other toxins (this won’t diminish the intoxication effect).
  7. Avoid Exercise: Refrain from exercising immediately after using inhalants to minimize the risk of a heart attack.
  8. Avoid Other Drugs: Don’t use other drugs while using inhalants, as it increases the associated risks.
  9. No Heavy Machinery: Given the alcohol-like effects of inhalants, avoid operating heavy machinery or driving under the influence.

Legal Status: Use, Possession, & Distribution

Most inhalants are commercially available and legally sold in stores. Nitrites (commonly known as “Poppers”) have faced stricter regulations and are no longer sold in Canadian sex shops but may be purchased from online vendors.