What You Need to Know About Inhalant Abuse & Addiction

It usually takes both considerable money and effort for an addict to acquire their drug of choice. After all, with the exception of alcohol, most addictive substances are either controlled or illegal. Unfortunately, there is one category of drugs that is not only legal, it’s widely available and affordable — inhalants. Inhalant abuse is the deliberate sniffing of common household products with the purpose of getting high. More than 22.9 million Americans have experimented with inhalants at some point in their lives, but the percentage of usage is highest among children ages 12-15. Addiction to inhalants is particularly difficult to recover from — and the rate of relapse is extremely high. Inhalants are breathed in by sniffing or snorting fumes from containers, spraying aerosols directly into the nose or mouth, inhaling fumes from substances sprayed inside a plastic or paper bag, or by huffing from an inhalant-soaked rag stuffed in the mouth. Types of Inhalants Abused Although many drugs can be inhaled, the term inhalants is used to describe a variety of substances that are rarely, if ever, taken by any route other than inhalation. Since this definition covers a broad range of chemicals that are found in hundreds of different products, inhalants have been grouped into four general categories: Volatile Solvents — Liquids that vaporize at room temperature, including paint thinners and removers, dry-cleaning fluids, degreasers, gasoline, glues, correction fl...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Addictions Children and Teens Disorders Family General Parenting Substance Abuse Treatment aerosol blood vessels Brain Brain Damage Central Nervous System cyclohexyl nitrite Diethyl ether halothane Heart Rate huffing In Source Type: news