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Kory Maw
Life, Society, and Drugs
Prof Ibarra
2 Apr 2014
The Usage of Inhalants
A lot of older teens or adults see how obvious inhalants can be bad for the body.
However, among children it seems they don’t have the mental capacity or knowledge of a lot of
facts about life and wrong doings because their brains are still developing and learning. This
exact theory can also be applied to users of inhalants.
The definition of an inhalant is “Inhalants are chemical vapors that people inhale on
purpose to get “high” (Inhalants). An Inhalant is also described as “ Although other abused drugs
can be inhaled, the term inhalants is reserved for the wide variety of substances-including
solvents, aerosols, gases, and nitrites-that are rarely taken via any other route of administration”
(Drugfacts NIDA). Inhalants can be easily obtained in the home or even at school. Solvents are
liquids that vaporize at room temperature, for example: paint thinners, gasoline, lighter fluid,
markers, glue, etc. Aerosols are sprays that contain propellants and solvents such as spray paints,
hair spray, computer cleaning products etc. The gas forms of inhalants are usually commercial
products and used as medical anesthetics. Items include propane, whipped cream containers,
butane, laughing gas, chloroform etc. The last form of an inhalant is nitrites which are primarily
used as sexual enhancers and kept in bottles of room odorizer (Drug facts NIDA).
Inhalants were used back in the ancient times in Egypt, India, Iraq, china, and even
ancient Greece. They were used in those countries mainly for religious purposes or ceremonies
rather than for recreational usage. They would inhale fumes such as oils, spices, and perfumes
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that would alter their consciousness for their religious ceremonies. Nitrous oxide and ether then
became popular in the 1800’s and on to the 1900’s had continued to be used as a recreational
use, especially in the prohibition era where alcohol was absent, so some drinkers went to
inhalants to get their needs. As the usage of inhalants grew, in the 1940’s gasoline was
introduced and used. In the 1960’s the usage of using commercial products such as paint, paint
thinners, nail polish remover, shoe polish, etc. became popular to sniff.
The most common way of using inhalants is called “huffing”. Huffing is when users will
breathe in the source through a rag and stuffed to the mouth to breathe in or through a bag. Users
can sniff right from the source to the nose or mouth such as markers, or glues. Users will also
inhale the product from a balloon, or even spray the product into a paper bag and inhale the
fumes through the mouth which is called bagging (Inhalants). The types of items themselves can
get a nickname that makes it known to other that is it used as a high such as, Whippets are found
in the whipped cream dispensers. Other nicknames from inhalants from aerosols, nitrites and
solvents can also be called poppers, snappers, laughing gas, and also bold or rush. These
terminologies are used to classify the usage as getting a high, as to the correct purpose it was
invented for (Inhalants).
The usage of Inhalants or solvents is mainly within children and also the low teens. It
varies between seventh to twelfth graders. From a study done from the University of Michigan in
2001, they did a survey from eighth grade to twelfth graders in high school; they asked the
students if they had ever used inhalants. The report showed a steady decline of users from the
eighth graders to the twelfth graders. The percentage of the eight graders was approximately 13
percent, and would drop around 3 percent per grade of the students (Drug facts NIDA). Over half
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of those users in the 8th grade didn’t think that using it once would be risky and they also didn’t
think that continued usage would be harmful to their body.
The accessibility of getting inhalants is extremely easy for anyone to get their hands on.
They are found throughout the house. Cleaning supplies can be found in most cabinets of the
house or bathrooms. Markers, glues, etc. can be found at home or school and easily bought at the
local grocery store by anyone. Gasoline and propane can also be found in many people’s garages
that could be easily obtained as well. As a natural reaction by most adolescents, the strong or
potent odor of the product, usually staring with solvents or aerosols, will lure them in to smell it
because they like the smell. After smelling it they may get the immediate results of the high.
From the enjoyment of the high of solvents or aerosols, they will get more creative and also want
something more potent such as gasses or nitrates that will give a better stronger high.
Alcohol and Inhalants are very similar when it comes to how they affect the brain. It also
depresses the central nervous system causing slurred speech, lack of coordination, euphoria, and
dizziness. But with inhalants they may also experience hallucinations, delusions, and light
headedness. When more than one hit is taken, it is very likely that users will feel drowsy for
many hours followed by an excruciating headache and will cause addiction. Using inhalants can
cause short term effects such as vomiting, nausea, etc. and also long terms effects depend on
what classification of inhalant one is using include hearing loss, kidney damage, liver damage,
heart issues, bone marrow damage, nerve damage, and also brain damage due to lack of oxygen
getting to the brain. Not only can inhalants be damaging organs, but they can also be very lethal
when consuming large amounts in a short time period. Within minutes of a high dosage of a
potent inhalant it can cause heart failure. It can also cause someone to die by suffocation mainly
from inhaling from an enclosed space with minimal oxygen (Drug facts NIDA).
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When it came to Riley Foster, a seventh grade student in Indianapolis Indiana, was a
good student with athletic roles playing in his life, became to feel withdrawn and distant. His
first inhalant was a can of duster at a friend’s house. He then liked it so much he kept inhaling.
“It’s just kind of like taking your head away from your body” (Salahi) he said. After being
introduced to inhalants, he would often spend hours in his garage inhaling gasoline. His family
had no idea that he was abusing gasoline as an inhalant until his mom found his passed him
completely blacked out from overdosing. “A sixth grader doesn’t have the drug connections that
maybe an older student might have, it’s just the curiosity, the naiveté that comes from being
young, it’s easy to get, cheap and legal” (Salahi).
Like previously stated, huffing can be lethal and can be lethal within minutes after ones
first hit or sniff. This exact thing had happened Aaron Hunt, a senior at Mchenry West High
School in Wonder Lake Illinois. When the paramedics arrived his heart had already stopped and
his brain was going without oxygen for more than ten minutes. He then spent four days on life
support when they found out the damage had been way too severe to his brain and removed life
support and died. Before this incident, Aaron had been caught smoking marijuana and had to
attend counseling and had annual drug tests in which he had passed every time since he quit
smoking marijuana. He must have felt like he always needed a high and switched to inhalants.
He switched to inhalants because he needed to pass his annual drug tests, and inhalants don’t
show up on drug tests, therefore he passed every test and was also getting the high he couldn’t
live without (Broundou).
Around the country, many cases have been taken of people who know abusers of
inhalants or people who were addicted to inhalants by excessive usage that demanded the need of
the high from inhalants. Some of their stories are mostly considered to be of addiction or loss of
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a loved one from the inhalants. Jackie was a parent of an abuser and said this about her son.
“Tomorrow is the sixth anniversary of our son Justin’s death. He was sixteen. He died from
inhaling air freshener, an act of inhalant abuse. His senseless death rocked the worlds of all who
knew him. Justin was an honors student who loved life and embraced it with enthusiasm. (He
was a source of inspiration for many.) I will always be haunted by the question of whether Justin
would be with us today had he known about the risks he was taking” (Drug Free). Another
interesting quote of a user named Erik said the following, “I actually found myself talking to
what I call ‘gas buddies’ (the hallucinations). One day I was huffing and I thought my friend died
because the hallucination of him came to me. I found myself huffing not only for the visuals, but
for the company of these imaginary ‘friends’ that would come to me when I would start to huff. I
have been struggling with this addiction for about seven months now” (Drug Free).
Over the years, the usage of inhalants has risen among teenagers between seventh grade
and twelfth graders. Although it may be logical knowledge to assume breathing strong chemicals
would be harmful to one’s body, the results are the exact opposite. Teenagers are turning to
inhalants because they are cheap to buy, availability in the house, it isn’t considered to be illegal
because they are everyday items used for specific purposes outside of the drug life, and they also
don’t show up on drug tests so people who have to take annual drug tests can still get their
“high” while doing it in a legal way. Despite the effects of inhalants being very harmful to the
brain, liver, kidneys, heart, and it also being lethal won’t stop young teenagers from using
inhalants because at this stage in life they have a high sense of curiosity of the unknown. They
will also use it to escape reality to help cure their depression, making them feel happy and away
from how people see themselves, and also how they see themselves. But going to the extent of
using inhalants could ruin their life, and also their family’s way of life.
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Work Cited
Broundou, Colleen. "Death of Illinois Teen Highlights the Dangers of Huffing Inhalants."
Finding Dulciea, 26 Sept.2010. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"Drug Free World-Real Life Stories on Side Effects of Sniffing or Huffing Inhalant Drug
Abuse.". Foundation of a Drug Free World, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"DrugFacts: Inhalants." National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The Science of Drug Abuse
and Addiction, Sept. 2012. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"History of Inhalants, Proliferation & Origins: Foundation for a Drug Free World." History of
Inhalants, Proliferation & Origins: Foundation for a Drug Free World. Foundation of a
Drug Free World, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.
"Inhalants." NIDA for Teens. The Science behind Drug Abuse, Dec. 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Salahi, Lara, Courtney Hutchison, Anna Wild, Richard Besser, and Md. "Teens Get High with
One Household Huff." ABC News. ABC News Network, 08 Apr. 2010. Web. 30 Mar.
2014.
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Work Cited
Broundou, Colleen. "Death of Illinois Teen Highlights the Dangers of Huffing Inhalants."
Finding Dulciea, 26 Sept.2010. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"Drug Free World-Real Life Stories on Side Effects of Sniffing or Huffing Inhalant Drug
Abuse.". Foundation of a Drug Free World, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"DrugFacts: Inhalants." National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The Science of Drug Abuse
and Addiction, Sept. 2012. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"History of Inhalants, Proliferation & Origins: Foundation for a Drug Free World." History of
Inhalants, Proliferation & Origins: Foundation for a Drug Free World. Foundation of a
Drug Free World, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.
"Inhalants." NIDA for Teens. The Science behind Drug Abuse, Dec. 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Salahi, Lara, Courtney Hutchison, Anna Wild, Richard Besser, and Md. "Teens Get High with
One Household Huff." ABC News. ABC News Network, 08 Apr. 2010. Web. 30 Mar.
2014.