Can be Deadly the First Time!
Inhalant abuse or more commonly known as huffing; is the process of inhaling household chemicals to get high. There is an estimate of 2.6 million teenagers who get high by sniffing the fumes from common products like lighter fluid, nail polish remover, duster, and gasoline. Unlike other drugs where there are signs of abuse, inhalant like duster does not leave much evidence of abuse.
Each year there are more than 100 teens that die from inhalant abuse, some of the victims are dead from the first time trying to huff this is called sudden sniffing death syndrome. A person’s very first “huff” can speed up his or her heart so drastically that he or she suffers a heart attack and dies.
“There’s no way to predict it,” says Christopher Cathcart of the Consumer Specialty Products Association, which represents companies that make household products. “Even if one kid is using something and getting a buzz, his friend can use the same product and die from the first sniff.”
Substances commonly used by inhalant abusers fall into several categories:
• Volatile solvents, such as those found in paint thinner, gasoline, felt-tip markers, nail polish remover, glue, and other household products.
• Aerosol sprays containing propellants and solvents. Examples include spray paint, deodorant, and hair care products.
• Gases, most commonly nitrous oxide (laughing gas).
• Nitrites, a group of chemicals that are used in room deodorizers, are more often abused by those seeking sexual enhancement rather than a euphoric state. Nitrites are most commonly abused by adults.
“Sniffing inhalants reduces the oxygen supply to your brain and lungs. The toxic fumes dissolve the protective covering around your brain cells. As this coating deteriorates, messages travel ever more slowly through your brain. That can cause muscle spasms, tremors, and permanent damage to your speech and memory. Inhalant abuse can also lead to problems with your heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys.”
“People don’t know just how common inhalant abuse is among young people,” says Jennifer Caudle, director of family medicine at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. “Inhalants are easy to get because they’re cheap and legal to buy.”
About half of all inhalant-related deaths are caused by accidents. An example would be car crashes involving drivers who are high on inhalants. For example earlier this month a 19 year old man from Wyoming crashed his car into another car. The suspect was passed out in his car when police arrived and found several eight ounce cans of “industrial strength ultra duster.”
There was another incident in Coffee County Alabama where police responded to a trespassing call. When police arrived they approached a vehicle that a young man was sitting in. The 19 year old put the vehicle in reverse and attempted to hit the officer and crashed into the patrol car.
The young man fled the scene and was shortly found in a church where law enforcement had to use taser guns to subdue the suspect. The suspect admitted to huffing nearly 20 cans of duster over the weekend. He is in custody on charges of attempted murder, first degree criminal mischief, and third degree burglary.
Parents of teens need to look for the small signs of inhalant abuse, because the primary age group of abusers is between the ages of 12 to 17. This is because inhalants are simple house hold products that are inexpensive and easy to obtain. Parents should look out for sores and cuts around the mouth area along with the presence of unusual odors.
