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Inhalants

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Poison Help Line

1-800-222-1222
Inhalants are substances that people inhale, or breath in, to get high. The term inhalants refers to the various substances that people typically misuse only by inhaling them. They contain dangerous substances that have psychoactive, or mind-altering, properties when they are inhaled. Using inhalants to try to get high, even once, can be very harmful and can even lead to death.

Inhalants are often products that are easily bought and can be found in the home or workplace. There are 4 main types of inhalants:

  • Solvents: Liquids that become gas at room temperature. They include paint thinners and removers, degreasers, gasoline, glues, correction fluids and felt-tip markers.
  • Aerosols: Sprays that contain propellants and solvents. They include spray paints, hair and deodorant sprays, and vegetable oil sprays.
  • Gases: Include gas from lighters, whipped cream dispensers or “whippets,” and laughing gas.
  • Nitrites: A unique form of inhalant that works by dilating blood vessels and relaxing muscle. Inhalational abuse is often seen with “poppers” that are often sold as small bottles of room odorizer, leather cleaner or liquid aroma.

Inhalants can be abused in several ways.

  • Huffing: breathing in fumes from a cloth soaked in a chemical
  • Sniffing: breathing in fumes from an open container
  • Bagging: placing the substance into a plastic or paper bag and holding it over the mouth and nose
  • Spraying: spraying aerosols directly into the nose or mouth

Most inhalants affect your central nervous system and slow down brain activity. Inhalants can cause both short-term and long-term health effects. Short-term effects include:

  • Slurred or distorted speech
  • Lack of coordination
  • Feeling high
  • Dizziness
  • Hallucinations
  • Suffocation risk
  • Frostbite from freezing gas that escapes the container
  • Sudden sniffing death – some inhalants can increase the risk of irregular and rapid heart rhythms, leading to death
Long-term health effects may include serious and potentially irreparable harm to vital organs, including the brain, heart, kidneys and liver.

 

Call the 24-Hour Poison Help Line for Additional Support:

1-800-222-1222

Who Uses Inhalants?

Inhalants are mostly used by tweens and teens. They often try inhalants before they try other substances because inhalants are easier to get.

Signs That Someone is Using Inhalants

  • Chemical odors on breath or clothing
  • Paint or other stains on face, hands or clothes
  • Hidden empty spray paint or solvent containers and chemical-soaked rags or clothing
  • Red or runny eyes or nose
  • Drunk or disoriented appearance
  • Slurred speech
  • Nausea or loss of appetite
  • Inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability and depression

Prevention Tips

  • Talk to your children about the dangers of inhalant abuse and how to deal with peer pressure.
  • Know what substances are often misused as inhalants, and monitor these products if you are concerned.

Related links

Alcohol Poisoning
Cannabis/Marijuana
Inhalants
Nicotine and vaping
Opioids
Over-the-Counter Medicine Abuse
Prescription Medicine Abuse
1-800-222-1222
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