Inhalants

They're all over your house. They're in your child's school. In fact, you probably picked some up the last time you went to the grocery store. Educate yourself. Find out about inhalants

Children are quickly discovering that common household products are inexpensive to obtain, easy to hide and the easiest way to get high

According to national surveys, inhaling dangerous products is becoming one of the most widespread problems in the country. It is as popular as marijuana with young people. More than a million people used inhalants to get high just last year. By the time a student reaches the 8th grade, one in five will have used inhalants.

What is inhalant use? Inhalant use refers to the intentional breathing of gas or vapors with the purpose of reaching a high.

Inhalants are legal, everyday products which have a useful purpose, but can be misused.

Common Products Acetone. It's found in nail polish remover, rubber cement and permanent markers. Butane. It's found in lighter fluid, gasoline, spray paint, hair spray, room fresheners and deodorant. Chlorinated hydrocarbons. These are found in dry cleaning agents, spot removers, degreasers and correction fluids.

Fluorocarbons. Common offenders include analgesic sprays, spray paint, hair spray, deodorant and room fresheners. Propane. It's found in spray paint, hair spray, room fresheners and deodorant. Toulene. It's found in paint thinner, spray paint, airplane glue, rubber cement, nail polish remover and shoe polish.

Who is at risk? Inhalants are an equal opportunity method of substance abuse. Statistics show that young, white males have the highest usage rates. Hispanic and American Indian populations also show high rates of usage.

Irreversible Damage Hearing loss - toluene (paint sprays, glues, dewaxers) and trichloroethylene (cleaning fluids, correction fluids) Peripheral neuropathies or limb spasms - hexane (glues, gasoline) and nitrous oxide (whipping cream, gas cylinders) Central nervous system or brain damage - toluene (paint sprays, glues, dewaxers) Bone marrow damage - benzene (gasoline).

Amyl and butyl nitrites have been associated with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), the most common cancer reported among AIDS patients.

Reversible Effects Liver and kidney damage - toluene-containing substances and chlorinated hydrocarbons (correction fluids, dry-cleaning fluids) Blood oxygen depletion - organic nitrites (poppers, bold, and rush) and methylene chloride (varnish removers, paint thinners).

Street Names Air blast Ames (amyl nitrite) Amys (amyl nitrite) Aroma of men (isobutyl nitrite) Bagging (using inhalants) Bolt (isobutyl nitrite) Boppers (amyl nitrite) Buzz bomb (nitrous oxide) Climax (isobutyl nitrite) Discorama Glading (using inhalant) Gluey (one who sniffs or inhales glue) Hardware (isobutyl nitrite) Hippie crack Honey oil Huff Huffing (sniffing an inhalant) Kick Laughing gas (nitrous oxide) Medusa Whiteout (isobutyl nitri Moon gas Oz Pearls (amyl nitrite) Poor man's pot Poppers (isobutyl nitrite, amyl nitrite) Quicksilver (isobutyl nitrite) Rush (isobutyl nitrite) Shoot the breeze (nitrous oxide) Snappers (isobutyl nitrite) Snorting (using inhalant) Thrust (isobutyl nitrite) Toncho (octane booster) Whippets (nitrous oxide)

Age of Onset Often first substance used before marijuana and cocaine. In fact, inhalant use often appears before onset of tobacco or alcohol use. Experimental use onset in late childhood & early adolescence, use patterns are short lived, with cessation in late adolescence Chronic use appears in early & late adolescence

Fast & Multiple Intoxication Users can get high several times over a short period because inhalants are short-acting with a rapid onset Attractive to children who don't like delayed gratification

Poor School Attendance Drop-outs Absenteeism Suspension Expulsion

Delinquency Particularly theft and burglary Inhalant users are more disruptive, deviant or delinquent than other drug users

Ethnic Membership Users are predominately white Minority involvement is concentrated in American and Canadian Native American Indians; and, Low income Hispanics

Gender Experimental use equally common in males, females Chronic use most common in males Morbidity and mortality more common among chronic male users

Signs of Inhalant Use paint or stains on body or clothing spots or sores around the mouth red or runny eyes or nose chemical breath odor drunk, dazed or dizzy appearance nausea, loss of appetite anxiety, excitability, irritability

What can inhalants do to the body? Nearly all abused products produce effects similar to anesthetics, which slow down the body's function. Varying upon level of dosage, the user can experience slight stimulation, feeling of less inhibition or loss of consciousness.

The user can also suffer from Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. This means the user can die the 1st, 10th or 100th time he or she uses an inhalant. Other effects include damage to the heart, kidney, brain, liver, bone marrow and other organs.

Results similar to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome may also occur when inhalants are used during pregnancy. Inhalants are physically and psychologically addicting and users suffer withdrawal symptoms.

Damage it Causes A. BRAIN The chemicals abused by inhalant users affect different parts of the brain, producing a variety of sensory and psychological disorders. Many inhalants are thought to dissolve the protective myelin sheath that surrounds neurons - brain cells - resulting in cell death (see brain diagram). B. CEREBRAL CORTEX Cellular death here causes permanent personality changes, memory impairment, hallucinations and learning disabilities. C. CEREBELLUM This is the center that controls balance and coordination. Inhalant-related damage results in loss of coordination and slurred speech. Chronic abusers experience tremors and uncontrollable shaking. D. OPHTHALMIC NERVE Toluene may affect this nerve causing sight disorders.

Asphyxiation -- from repeated inhalations, which lead to high concentrations of inhaled fumes displacing the available oxygen in the lungs; Suffocation -- from blocking air from entering the lungs when inhaling fumes from a plastic bag placed over the head; Choking -- from inhalation of vomit after inhalant use; or Fatal injury -- from accidents, including motor vehicle fatalities, suffered while intoxicated.

Animal and human research shows that most inhalants are extremely toxic. Perhaps the most significant toxic effect of chronic exposure to inhalants is widespread and long-lasting damage to the brain and other parts of the nervous system.

For example, both animal research and human pathological studies indicate that chronic abuse of volatile solvents such as toluene damages the protective sheath around certain nerve fibers in the brain and peripheral nervous system. This extensive destruction of nerve fibers is clinically similar to that seen with neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

The neurotoxic effects of prolonged inhalant abuse include neurological syndromes that reflect damage to parts of the brain involved in controlling cognition, movement, vision, and hearing. Cognitive abnormalities can range from mild impairment to severe dementia. Other effects can include difficulty coordinating movement, spasticity, and loss of feeling, hearing, and vision.

Inhalants also are highly toxic to other organs. Chronic exposure can produce significant damage to the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Although some inhalant-induced damage to the nervous and other organ systems may be at least partially reversible when inhalant abuse is stopped, many syndromes caused by repeated or prolonged abuse are irreversible.

What can I do if someone I know is huffing and appears in a state of crisis? If someone you know is huffing, the best thing to do is remain calm and seek help. Agitation may cause the huffer to become violent, experience hallucinations or suffer heart dysfunction which can cause Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. Make sure the room is well ventilated and call EMS. If the person is not breathing, administer CPR. Once recovered, seek professional treatment and counseling.

Can inhalant use be treated? Treatment facilities for inhalant users are rare and difficult to find. Users suffer a high rate of relapse, and require thirty to forty days or more of detoxification. Users suffer withdrawal symptoms which can include hallucinations, nausea, excessive sweating, hand tremors, muscle cramps, headaches, chills and delirium tremens.

Follow-up treatment is very important Follow-up treatment is very important. If you or someone you know is seeking help for inhalant abuse, you can contact the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition at 1-800-269-4237 for information on treatment centers and general information on inhalants. Through a network of nationwide contacts, NIPC can help (but not guarantee) finding a center in your area that treats inhalant use.

What Should Parents Do?? It is never too early to teach your children about the dangers of inhalants. Don't just say "not my kid." Inhalant use starts as early as elementary school and is considered a gateway to further substance abuse.

Parents often remain ignorant of inhalant use or do not educate their children until it is too late. Inhalants are not drugs. They are poisons and toxins and should be discussed as such. There are, however, a few age appropriate guidelines that can be useful when educating your children

Teacher Do’s ??? Describe and discuss implications of other gases replacing oxygen in the blood. Describe and discuss short/long-term effects of inhaling toxic products. Describe and discuss negative effects of volatile chemicals on fatty brain tissue. Where appropriate, offer access to counselor or other qualified professional. Respond to questions concerning specific products by describing negative effects and consequences.

Short VS Long Term Use Most inhalants produce a rapid high that resembles alcohol intoxication with initial excitation, then drowsiness, disinhibition, lightheadedness, and agitation. If sufficient amounts are inhaled, nearly all solvents and gases produce anesthesia, a loss of sensation, and even unconsciousness.

These effects are related to inhalant intoxication and may include belligerence, apathy, impaired judgment, and impaired functioning in work or social situations. Dizziness, drowsiness, slurred speech, lethargy, depressed reflexes, general muscle weakness, and stupor are other possible effects. For example, research shows that toluene can produce headache, euphoria, giddy feelings, and inability to coordinate movements. Exposure to high doses can cause confusion and delirium. Nausea and vomiting are other common side effects.

Even a single session of repeated inhalant abuse can disrupt heart rhythms and cause death from cardiac arrest or lower oxygen levels enough to cause suffocation. Regular abuse of these substances can result in serious harm to vital organs including the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver.

A 13 year-old boy was inhaling fumes from cleaning fluid and became ill a few minutes afterwards. Witnesses alerted the parents, and the victim was hospitalized and placed on life support systems. He died 24 hours after the incident.

An 11 year-old boy collapsed in a public bathroom An 11 year-old boy collapsed in a public bathroom. A butane cigarette lighter fuel container and a plastic bag were found next to him. He also had bottles of typewriter correction fluid in his pocket. CPR failed to revive him, and he was pronounced dead.

A 15 year-old boy was found unconscious in a backyard A 15 year-old boy was found unconscious in a backyard. According to three companions, the four teenagers had taken gas from a family's grill propane tank. They put the gas in a plastic bag and inhaled the gas to get high. The victim collapsed shortly after inhaling the gas. He died on the way to the hospital.

Jeny’s Story A Common Cleaning Product Killed My Daughter If I could just take a few minutes of your time and hopefully spare another family the nightmare that my family will now live for the rest of our lives. My name is Kelli and my daughter's name was Jeny. On March 25, at 10:30 p.m., we received a call from the hospital telling us that Jeny had been in an accident. They wouldn't tell me she was okay, just to get to the hospital. After driving 15 miles to get there, we weren't allowed to see her and couldn't find out if she was okay. We waited two hours before a police officer took us to another room. He showed us a cleaning product. He said the driver of the car had "huffed" it.

We had no idea of what he was talking about - never heard of huffing We had no idea of what he was talking about - never heard of huffing. The driver of the car had inhaled the cleaner and immediately passed out. The car went down an embankment, across interstate 75 and hit the cement divider in the medium. The driver and the two passengers in the backseat walked away. Jeny's head went through the windshield and hit the divider. She died immediately. Jeny was an A-B student, popular in her school, loved life - and I know she would have never tried inhalants had she known the danger and especially riding with someone who was driving and inhaling. They were just "having fun". We never got to say goodbye to Jeny. In a matter of minutes, her life was cruelly taken away. So, for the parents reading this, please, know what your child is doing, and educate yourself about inhalants. It's a drug and it's dangerous. For the kids out there reading this, please, don't be stupid. Don't think inhalants can't hurt you, because they can and they kill. Don't allow your parents to go through the nightmare that we are now living.

Quiz http://www.drugfree.org/Parent/Quizzes/InhalantsQuiz