The Danger of Inhalants

Known as Moon Gas, Bolt, Hardware, Highball, Hippie Crack, Huff, Laughing Gas, Poppers, Snappers, Thrust and Whiteout, among others; in recent news there have been several incidents of individuals that have suffered serious health complications and who that died from inhalants.

More recently was the death of a student who was using computer cleaner to get high. For several generations people have used paint thinner, model glue and acetone to get high, but it is important to understand that these substances are dangerous and can be lethal.

Dangerous Side Effects

The chemicals that are found in common household cleaning agents such as cleaning fluids, aerosol sprays, acetone or nail polish remover, paint thinner and paint, glue and lighter fluid each have the ability to stimulate the senses when they are sniffed or inhaled.

Inhalants can lead to permanent psychological and physical damage when they enter through the nose or mouth. These chemicals have a tremendous effect on the brain and central nervous system by creating a depleting the body of oxygen and increasing the heart rate, which can lead to cardiac arrest or asphyxiation, as well as violent and erratic behavior. It can cause kidney, lung and liver issues, destroy the ability to smell, lead to chronic nose bleeds and cause nausea. Overtime, chronic and excessive abuse of inhalants can decrease muscle mass, muscle strength and tone.

Unpredictable Outcome

The danger of using inhalants lies in the fact that you do not know the chemicals that are going into your body when you sniff, huff or inhale them. It is for this reason that there are so many emergency room visits and fatalities from abuse : because people do not understand the danger.

While you may think that a quick sniff will not produce long-term damage, the fact is that you could die from that one sniff. Cleaning chemicals are designed to be abrasive and potent to material items, not to be absorbed into the brain and many of the chemicals that are found in household cleaning supplies are toxic to your system.

Long-Term Effects

Besides losing the sense of smell, there are a number of permanent factors that have been associated with chronic and excessive abuse such as:
• Hearing loss
• Seizures or spasms
• Bone marrow damage
• Brain damage

Unfortunately, there are no hard statistics as to how many emergency room visits or deaths are attributed from sniffing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there have been approximately 900 deaths from inhalant abuse since 1996 and currently about 100 deaths occur each year. The CDC also cites that sniffing is more popular among teens and college students.