Inhalants
of Abuse
or
Volatile Substances
Mind-altering inhaled fumes, vapors, gases
Most often vapors of commercial non-drug
products
Doesn’t include medical use of inhaled
products or
drugs that are smoked
Inhalant Abuse
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Estimated
1 million current US
users
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Most
often used by those 12-17 yrs old
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About
20% of 8th graders have tried; in some areas up to 13%
of 4th graders have used
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Often
group use in young, more solitary use in adults
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Impossible
to control access to these products
Users, by Age
Group – 8th grade highest use
Main Groups
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Industrial/household
solvents (e.g. thinners,
removers, cleaning fluids, toluene,
xylene, benzene)
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Art/office
supply solvents & adhesives
(e.g. in whiteout, markers,
airplane glue, rubber cement, spray adhesive)
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Aerosol
propellants (e.g. in spray
paint, Scotchguard, hair spray, deodorant, air
fresheners, cooking sprays)
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Household/commercial
fuels (butane, propane, gas)
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Abused
anesthetic gases (nitrous
oxide, ether, chloroform )
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Abused
volatile nitrites (amyl and
butyl nitrite)
Modes of Delivery
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Sniffing
fumes from the container
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Soaking
cloth, cotton, or kleenex in the substance, then inhaling
through the cloth (“huffing”)
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Placing
or spraying inhalant in bag and inhaling from the bag
(“bagging”)
Characteristics of
Inhalants
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Most
have an intoxicating, stupefying depressant action (covered at end
of alcohol chapter)
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User
can lose consciousness
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Rapid
action (like smoking route) with short duration (30-60 min.
unless re-administered)
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Most
are toxic (never intended for intake) – both the psychoactive
component as well as the other chemicals/particles inhaled
Risks
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“Sudden
sniffing death syndrome” (death due to cardiac arrhythmia)
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Accidental
suffocation due to bags, paralysis, displacement of oxygen;
coating of lungs with product
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Aspiration
of vomit while impaired or unconscious
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Accidental
injuries; risk of combustion, fire
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Hypoxia
& toxins can cause brain and nerve damage
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Heart,
kidney, liver, lung damage
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Some
products are also carcinogenic
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“Fetal
solvent syndrome” if inhalants abused during pregnancy; large
increase in birth defects
Huffing Example
from Citizen Ruth
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Chap
15& 16 – Antideps & Stabilizers
21 mc and 4 fill in
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Chap
17 Antipsychotics 10 mc, 2 fill in
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Chap
11 Cannabis 13 mc
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Chap
12 Hallucinogens 24 mc, 1 fill in
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Inhalants
(end of chap 4) 3 mc + 1 fill in
Warning Signs
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Chemical
odor on body, breath, clothes or in room
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Red,
glassy or watery eyes; nosebleeds
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Inflamed
nose, rash around nose or mouth or where bag may be taped to
face
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Marker
or paint traces on face, hands,clothes
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White
powdery ring around mouth from inhaling glue
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Coughing,
sneezing, drooling, nausea
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Inhalant
supplies (bags, rags, paint cans, balloons, hankerchiefs,
toilet paper tubes, lighters)
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Large
increase in use of supplies; loss of medical inhalers
Nitrous Oxide
(“laughing gas”)
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mild
anesthetic gas used in medicine and dentistry in a mixture with
oxygen
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propellant
in whipped cream dispensers
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used
to increase combustion in auto racing
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produces
euphoria & dreamy intoxication but deprives body of oxygen
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ether
& other gases also abused
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Nitrous
oxide also used in combination with club drugs (Ecstasy,
ketamine, PCP) to mellow their effects
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Use
“to go to K-land instead of K-hole”
As a Teacher,
Counselor, Parent
Use May Occur in Front of You
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“Binaca”
freeze tag on 3rd grade playground
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Sniffing
a “can of pop”
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Sniffing
markers, glues, cements, kleenex, sleeve
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Licking
dried whiteout
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Baby
food jars of liquid
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Smashed
markers on the driveway
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Getting
“gladed” at a slumber party
Behavioral Changes
With Abuse
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neglect
of appearance
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loss
of drive
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withdrawn
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decreased
interest in physical activity
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slurred
speech
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incoordination
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slowed
reactions
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intoxication
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confusion
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fatigue
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irritability
or mood swings
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depression
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nonsensical
speech
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headache,
hangover
Volatile Nitrites
(“Poppers”)
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Amyl
nitrite is a prescription drug for angina
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Butyl
nitrite (“Locker Room”, “Rush”) OTC “room odorizer”
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Isobutyl
nitrite - propellant in most room fresheners
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Produce
peripheral & coronary vasodilation & rapid HR - this
produces short-lived light-headedness, weakness and dizziness
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Nitrites
may be used to enhance orgasm
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Increased
risk of Kaposi’s sarcoma & glaucoma; suppresses immune
system