Inhalant abuse consequences

Contents An overview what are inhalants —History of inhalant use— Properties of inhalants — How do inhalants act —Abuse of inhalants— Consequences of inhalant abuse—Trends and use of inhalants—Treatment and prevention. 

Inhalant abuse can have very serious consequences. It can cause serious damage to the brain and nervous system. It can cause death by starving the body of oxygen and causing the heart to fail. It is unknown how many adolescents die each year from inhalant abuse because these deaths are often classified as deaths from suffocation, accidents, or suicide. ... 

Most inhalant abusers have tried to but are unable to quit, and have reported this to treatment facilities. In spite of knowing the adverse consequences of their continued use, addicted individuals continue using inhalants. Relapse into use of the drug because of withdrawal symptoms and desire for the drug can prevent addicted users from quitting. 

PHYSICAL AND LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF INHALANT ABUSE... 

Sudden sniffing deaths are responsible for more than half of the deaths due to inhalant abuse. This has been compared to a form of Russian roulette by Harvey Weiss, director of the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition, in which a user may die the first time they sniff, or the tenth time, or the hundredth time. If a sniffer has used inhalants before without consequence, that does not mean she does not have a chance of experiencing a cardiac arrhythmia. Sudden sniffing deaths are mostly associated with aerosols, butane, toluene, and propane. 

Caldemeyer KS, Pascuzzi RM, Moran CC, et al Toluene abuse causing reduced MR signal intensity in the brain. American Journal of Radiology 161 1259-1261, 1993 Chadwick OFD, Anderson HR Neuropsychological consequences of volatile substance abuse a review. Hum Toxicol 8 307-312, 1989 Chang LW, Katz J Pathologic effects of chronic halothane inhalation an overview. Anesthesiology 45 640-653, 1976... 

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