Inhalants

• Volatile gases and solvents - such as cigarette lighter gas, cleaning fluids, spray paint, paint thinner, correction fluid, nail polish remover, petrol and glues.
  
  
• Aerosols - such as hair spray, deodorants and other spray products that are abused more for the propellant gas than for the contents.
  
  
• Nitrates - such as Amyl nitrite, which has medical applications for heart patients and Butyl nitrite, which is used in room odorizers.

 

Medicinal uses

Amyl nitrite was widely used in the past as a treatment for angina in heart patients and for diagnostic purposes. It is now rarely prescribed as a medicine as more effective compounds have been developed. Its availability to the public is controlled within the UK.

None of the other commonly abused inhalants, such as those examples listed above, have any medicinal application.

 

Abuse of inhalants

Young people are particularly likely to abuse inhalants because they are easily available, inexpensive and their abuse carries no criminal penalties. These factors make inhalants, for some young people, one of the first substances to be abused.

Inhalant vapours can be sniffed or sucked in directly from an open container or aerosol, or from a rag soaked in the substance and held to the face. Alternatively, the open container, substance or soaked rag can be placed in a paper or plastic bag and the vapors inhaled from that.
Some sniffers strengthen the effect by sniffing from inside a plastic bag placed over the head. This is very dangerous because the user may suffocate and become unconcious or even die.

Once inhaled, the large surface of the lungs allows rapid absorption of the vapour into the bloodstream. The effect of inhalants on the brain is so fast that sniffing these substances can provide an 'instant high' - in a similar fashion to that of intravenous injection of other drugs.

A note on nitrates
Amyl nitrite was first prescribed for use in small sealed ampoules. When these were broken, they made a snapping sound and illicit users nicknamed these ampoules 'snappers' or 'poppers'. This slang is often used today.
Amyl and butyl nitrites are sometimes abused by nightclub customers who inhale the fumes for the rush whilst dancing. They are also popular as a sex drug, sometimes said to be used for its muscle relaxant properties, but more often for added stimulation at the time of orgasm. The purchase of Amyl nitrite is controlled but Butyl nitrite can be bought from sex and other speciality shops, or in clubs.

 

How do they work?

Although different in makeup, nearly all of the commonly abused inhalants produce effects similar to that of anesthetics, which act to slow down the body's functions. In general terms they are Central Nervous System depressants.
Various parts of the central nervous system are depressed by inhalants, with all sorts of consequences. For example, when the brain's speech centres are inhibited, this causes slurred speech; when the vision centres are affected this produces distorted vision; when the co-ordination centres are depressed this results in loss of balance and limb control.

The exception to this are Amyl and Butyl nitrites. These compounds widen blood vessels and make the heart beat faster. They exert a very short-lasting stimulant effect.

 

What effect do they have?

The effects of abusing inhalants such as solvents, glue and aerosols etc. resemble the effects of drinking alcohol. At low doses users may feel slightly stimulated - in a similar fashion to the alcohol user after, say two or three pints of beer. This is caused by depression of the higher brain centres, which produces an apparent stimulation by reducing anxiety and self-consciousness. An inhalant abuser may demonstrate increased self-confidence and loss of self restraint.
So inhalants can feel stimulating - but they're not - these effects are a result of the inhibition of normal brain activity.
At high doses, an inhalant abuser can lose consciousness as the brain activity that controls vital functions such as breathing and heartbeat becomes inhibited.

The effects of inhalants occur very quickly and disappear after a short time - say 15 to 30 minutes later. This means that an inhalant abuser is likely to keep repeating the inhalation in an attempt to maintain the 'high'. This can lead to near-continous use, with possible serious health risk or life-threatening consequences.

Inhalants cause distortion in perceptions of time and space. Many users experience headache, nausea or vomiting, slurred speech, loss of motor coordination and problems with breathing.

A characteristic 'glue sniffer's rash' around the nose and mouth is often seen on individuals who abuse inhalants. Clothes, skin and breath may smell of paint or solvents.

 
Nitrates
Sniffing nitrites makes the user light headed and giddy and produces a feeling of blood rushing to the head, a flush of warmth and heightened sensual awareness. These effects last only one minute or so at most. For this reason, Amyl and Butyl nitrites are regarded as 'party' or 'nightclub' drugs, rather than drugs of everyday abuse.

Some people get a bad headache after using nitrates. Repeated sniffing can cause the user to become dizzy or to possibly pass out. Some side effects include headaches, nausea, coughing and dizziness.

 

Consequences of inhalant abuse

Consequences for health

Short-term
Sniffing solvents or aerosol sprays can cause heart failure and instant death. Sniffing can cause death the first time or any time. Inhalants can cause death from suffocation by displacing the oxygen in the lungs. Inhalants can also cause death by depressing the central nervous system so much that breathing slows down until it stops.
Death from inhalants usually results from sniffing a very high concentration of inhalant fumes - i.e. sniffing from a bag where the vapours have been allowed to collect. Deliberately inhaling from a paper bag greatly increases the chance of suffocation.

When a person is under the influence of inhalants, sudden exertion can cause a muscle spasm in the throat or heart. This can cause death.

Inhaling gases straight from aerosol cans may freeze the back of the throat causing death through suffocation. The gases may also be toxic. In 1995 abuse of volatile substances caused 68 deaths - of these, more than 40 were caused by abuse of gas lighter fuel refills.

Long-term
Long-term abuse of inhalants can cause weight loss, skin problems, bronchitis, muscle fatigue, memory impairment, mood swings and loss of concentration.
Repeated sniffing of strong vapors over a number of years can cause permanent damage to the nervous system. In addition, long-term abuse of certain inhalants can damage the liver, kidneys, blood, and bone marrow. Glue and paint thinner sniffing in particular produce kidney abnormalities, while the solvents toluene and trichloroethylene cause liver damage.

Tolerance, which means the sniffer needs more and more each time to get the same effect, is likely to develop from most inhalants when they are used regularly.

Legal Status

Butyl nitrite and all other inhalants referred to above - such as glues, paint thinners, aerosols etc. are freely available for sale to adults. However, it is an offence to sell some substances which can be used for intoxication - such as solvents, glues etc. - to people under 18 years old in the UK.
Such bans apply to shopkeepers etc. and are intended to prevent young people buying products that can be abused as inhalants. They are not easy to enforce and in any case many of the substances that can be used for inhalant abuse are present in every home.

It is not an offence for any person - of any age - to possess inhalants.