April 17, 2009
Huffing — A potentially life-threatening behavior
Kids are huffing, sniffing, bagging and dying.
Inhalant abuse — Anything under your sink, in your garage, in your desk drawer, or on the grocery shelf with a “Warning: Do not inhale or ingest this product” label and some without such labels are fair game. Inhalants can kill your child the first time they use.
Cleaning fluid, aerosol room deodorizers, Whiteout (typewriter correction product), markers, freon, glue, gasoline, paint, paint thinner, butane, propane, Duster (a computer cleaning product), Lucky Whip or any product with a pressurized propellant, lighter fluid, hair spray, room deodorizers, cooking sprays, nail-polish remover and many other commercially available products can be used as drugs of abuse.
Inhalants are chemicals that produce vapors that are inhaled to produce mind-altering drug effects. This drug “category” is defined by the route or method by which the drugs enter the body, not by their effects on the body.
Many people do not think of these products as harmful or deadly because many are common household and commercial items. As a result, they are readily available to young people and inhalant abuse is more common among younger children than other drugs. Peak use is in the late elementary/middle school years.
Surveys by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center indicate that the prevalence of inhalant abuse has continued to decrease in recent years, but the prevalence of current inhalant use is highest among Indiana sixth, seventh and eighth graders. In 2008, 2.3 percent of sixth graders, and 3.3 percent of eighth graders used inhalants at least once in the past month. However, slightly less than one in 10 (9.5 percent) of Indiana eighth graders have abused inhalants in their lifetime.
With these dangerous chemicals, one use can be fatal. Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome (SSDS) may occur the first or the 100th time such drugs are used.
Inhaling of fumes is not a new practice. Use of volatile hydrocarbons and anesthetic gases, ether and nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) was common in the 1800s in Europe, Great Britain and North America. In the early 1900s, alcohol, ether and chloroform were inhalants of choice. In the 1940s and 1950s, sniffing gasoline was prevalent. From the 1960s to present times glue, acetone and the other substances mentioned above have become popular
“Huffing” means the substance is inhaled through the mouth, “sniffing” through the nose, and “bagging” indicates something is inhaled off a saturated cotton or cloth from a bag. Regardless of the method, signs of inhalant abuse may include: breath that smells like chemicals; paint stains on face or clothes; rash or sores around mouth or nose; headaches; nausea; loss of appetite; intoxicated appearance; irritable, anxious or constantly excited mood. They may have red eyes, runny nose and loss of memory and concentration. The symptoms may appear similar to the common cold. However, they don’t resolve with proper medication and time. Watch for bags, discarded aerosol cans or rags in the room.
Obviously, death is the most serious consequence for inhalant abuse. Other serious medical complications include: depression and apathy, nosebleeds, kidney and liver damage, anemia, severe nervous system and brain damage, loss of muscle control and heart failure. When combined with alcohol or other drugs, the risk of death is even greater.
What should a parent do if you suspect your child is abusing inhalants?
If you catch your child inhaling, remain calm. Upsetting, agitating or exciting the abuser may make them worse. They may be more likely to become violent, hallucinate or experience heart problems. Immediately open a window and ventilate the room. Then, seek medical attention and take the evidence with you. Knowing the contents of the inhalant may help with medical treatment. If they stop breathing or lose consciousness, initiate resuscitation and call 9-1-1. If you know your child is sniffing, huffing or bagging, seek help now.
To prevent use, talk to your children about alcohol, tobacco and other drug use starting at an early age (around eight years old) and continue meaningful communication throughout the teen years. Teach appropriate social skills to help them be more resilient kids. Inhalant abusers are more likely to continue abusing other drugs than other children. Make sure your child knows that inhaling is a form of “drug abuse,” but that inhalants themselves are not drugs. They are poisons and toxins. The National Inhalant Prevention Coalition, (800) 269-4237, can provide additional information. Locally, Youth First, (812) 421-8336, can provide additional information about inhalant abuse and other youth substance abuse issues.
Additional information is available via the Internet at www.inhalants.org.
The opinions, advice and information contained herein are not intended to provide professional medical advice or treatment, but are merely responses to questions from unidentified persons without advantage of actual knowledge of specific facts, circumstances and history of such person; and therefore, all responses contained herein should serve only as a suggested guide or possible course of action based on the question. Responses provided herein cannot replace professional assessment a person may receive from a visit with a healthcare professional. Youth First, Inc. hereby disclaims any and all responsibility or liability, which may be asserted or claimed arising from or claim to have arisen from reliance upon opinions, advice or information disclosed herein.