Inhalant Abuse
When we think of drugs, most of us think of marijuana, heroine and cocaine.
However, some of the most lethal drugs are simpler and easier to obtain.
These drugs are found in our homes. Things like paint, magic markers, white
out, lighter fluid, hair sprays, vegetable cooking sprays and air freshener.
There are close to 1,000 other everyday household products that are being
abused by kids to get a quick high. These items are cheap and easy to obtain,
and at the same time, when inhaled can prove fatal.
Kids inhale products through their nose (sniffing) or mouth (huffing).
The majority of kids who try these products think they are harmless.
Regular use of inhalants leads to tolerance; this means the user has to
inhale more of the drug to get high. Hundreds of children each year die
from inhalant use, sometimes on their first try. Inhalants are the
third most abused substances among 12 to 14 year olds in the United States.
. While many kids admit to sniffing toxic items, they do not consider this
to be "inhalant abuse". These inhalants are dangerous chemicals that
do irreversible damage to the human body when misused.
People who abuse inhalants on a regular basis and do not die put themselves
at risk for permanent and severe brain damage. Inhalant vapors react with
fatty tissues in the brain, literally dissolving them. Therefore, chronic
inhalant abusers may permanently lose the ability to perform everyday tasks
like walking, talking and thinking. Chronic users can also suffer from
these serious medical complications:
-
death may occur from depression of the central nervous system
-
instant, fatal heart failure (even during first use)
-
blood abnormalities
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destruction of bone marrow and skeletal muscle
-
respiratory damage
-
kidney failure
-
hepatitis with liver failure
Some of the symptoms of inhalant abuse include red or runny eyes and /or
nose; spots and/or sores around the mouth; unusual breath odor; drunk,
dazed or dizzy appearance; correction fluid on fingernails; sitting with
a pen or marker near the nose; constantly smelling shirt sleeves; nausea
and/or loss of appetite; and paint or stain marks on clothing or on skin.
For more information on inhalant abuse contact the West Virginia Poison
Center or one of the following websites:
Drug
Free America
The National
Inhalant Prevention Coalition |
