Brazoria County Sheriff's Department

Narcotic Division

Inhalants

What are inhalants?

Inhalants are a group of diverse volatile (breathable) substances people do not normally think of as drugs. These legal substances, most of which are found in everyday household products, are abused by sniffing or inhaling.

 

Who abuses inhalants?

Inhalant abuse is on the rise among young people, especially between the ages of 7 and l7, no doubt in part because inhalants are readily available and inexpensive.
Sometimes children unintentionally misuse the inhalant products which are often easily found around the house. Parents should see that these substances, like medicines, are kept away from young children.
Since inhalants are legal compounds, most of which are produced, distributed, and sold for legitimate purposes, their regulation for misuse is difficult.

 

Which inhalants are commonly abused?

Anything in an aerosol can--especially spray paint--is a likely candidate for abuse. Other abused sprays include vegetable oil and hair sprays.
Gasoline, transmission fluid, model airplane and other glues, paint thinners, nail polish and remover are other ordinary household substances abused in inhalation. The compound toluene in certain spray paints, gasoline, and other products is the principle reason people sniff these substances.
Other substances abused by inhaling include nitrous oxide (laughing gas), the dry cleaning fluid used in commercial establishments, and anesthesias like halothane. Some organic nitrites, marketed as "room odorizes", appear to be packaged and distributed specifically for their abuse potential. Amyl nitrite is an inhalant with a legitimate medical use in treating heart patients. This substance, too, is abused.

 

What risks are involved in sniffing inhalants?

There is a high risk of sudden death from spray inhalation. These spray inhalants can either interfere directly with breathing, or they can produce irregular heart beats (arrhythmia's) leading to heart failure and death. Risk of death by suffocation increases when users sniff concentrated spray fumes from a paper bag. Most deaths, however, have been associated with the propellants used in aerosol sprays.
Studies of long-term users of sprays and other inhalants have reported the following physical dysfunction (impaired functioning): bone marrow damage (which is usually associated with exposure to benzene); drastic weight loss; and impairment of vision, memory, and ability to think clearly. These dysfunction generally cease when sniffing stops.
During and shortly after inhalant use, the sniffer usually exhibits motor incoordination, inability to think and act clearly, and sometimes abusive and violent behavior.