Inhalants
Inhalants are drugs that produce
chemical vapors which, as the name suggests, are inhaled. These
drugs care found in common household products such as cleaning
supplies; hairspray and beauty products and can have extremely
powerful and dangerous effects. These drugs, while they are easy
to acquire, still have the ability to be harmful on a person’s
mind and body because they are not made of human consumption.
Inhalants are mind altering, meaning they change the brain’s
chemistry, and in effect, change the way a person feels, as well
as the way his/her body functions.
It is difficult to categorize
inhalants by their chemical composition or even their effects
on the mind and body because there are such an enormous variety
of them. Common inhalant categories can include aerosols, solvents,
gases and nitrates. Young adults are at high risk for misusing
inhalant-type products because they are very easy to get. Unlike
alcohol and tobacco, inhalants are found everywhere and can be
purchased by people of any age. Inhalants are usually used by
teenagers, even pre-teenagers, and while many users move past
inhalant use as they reach adulthood, some users do become addicted
to the substances.
In any case, inhalant users are
also at high risk for experimenting with other, harder drugs.
Inhalant abusers are usually desperate to get any kind of fix
or high and they tend to use any substance that they find. Popular
inhalants change from location to location; no one inhalant product
is most popular. Because inhalant abuse is common among younger
people, parents should be aware of some of the signs of inhalant
use.
Some signs include smelling chemicals
on a person’s body, clothes and other belongings, unusual
stains on the body and possessions, rags and other cloth-type
material with substances on them, and empty bottles, cans or other
containers in the person’s room or schoolbags. In addition,
inhalant users may also exhibit slurred speech, unruly appearance,
nausea and faulty motor skills. Inhalants kill brain cells and
quickly infiltrate the brain and the bloodstream through the lungs.
The intoxication only lasts for a very short period of time, so
inhalants must be used over and over to result in an extended
high. Long periods of inhalation are extremely dangerous and can
create delusions and hallucinations.
Most inhalants can be considered
depressants which slow down the functioning of the central nervous
system. The high that is initially experienced is similar to that
of alcohol, however prolonged inhalant use can result in brain
damage and other injuries related to an altered state of mind.
Because inhalants are often used in conjunction with other drugs,
users are most likely becoming addicted or already addicted to
drugs. Seeking treatment is almost always the best course of action
even if the user is unwilling to admit to the problem. Using resources
such as interventions, detox, and treatment facilities are all
helpful tools in finding recovery.
