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Kids and Inhalants

Kids and Inhalants. Information and Prevention. August 2009. Training Objectives. Recognize what inhalants are and the four types of inhalants. Identify common street names for inhalants. Identify the ways inhalants are abused. Identify the ways the body is affected by inhalant use.

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Kids and Inhalants

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  1. Kids and Inhalants Information and Prevention August 2009

  2. Training Objectives • Recognize what inhalants are and the four types of inhalants. • Identify common street names for inhalants. • Identify the ways inhalants are abused. • Identify the ways the body is affected by inhalant use.

  3. Recognize the ways inhalants can kill. • Identify the signs of someone who may be abusing inhalants. • Identify some things parents can do to prevent inhalant use. • Identify ways someone can be helped who has an addiction to inhalants.

  4. What Are Inhalants? • Inhalants are breathable chemical vapors that produce psychoactive (mind-altering) effects. • Examples of inhalants include glues, gasoline, paint thinner, rubber cement, nail polish remover, correction fluids, bleach, spray paint, hair spray and propane. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

  5. Kids And Inhalants: A Serious Problem • Many kids choose to “sniff” or “huff” inhalants for many reasons. They are cheap, easily accessible (often in kitchen cabinets or garages) and they are purchased legally. • Unfortunately many kids do not realize how dangerous inhalants are. They can kill a person the very first time they use them.

  6. National surveys indicate that more than 22.9 million Americans have abused inhalants at least once in their lives. • NIDA's “Monitoring the Future” study reveals that 17.3 percent of eighth-graders have abused inhalants. • According to a study released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, almost 1 million youth ages 12 to 17, used some kind of inhalant in 2007.

  7. Other national and state surveys suggest that inhalant use is most prevalent among 7th, 8th and 9th graders. • Inhalants is often one of the first drugs that young children use. • Inhalants may seem harmless to many children and teens. Due to them being easily accessed in a home, kids may not even see inhalants as being harmful.

  8. Types of Inhalants • According to Kids Health, there are four different types of inhalants. • The first category is Volatile Solvents. These include liquids that become a gas at room temperature. Examples include paint thinners and removers, gasoline, glues and felt-tip marker fluids.

  9. The second category of inhalants include medical gases (ether, nitrous oxide) and household or commercial products. These products include propane tanks, refrigerants, butane lighters and whipped cream dispensers that contain nitrous oxide.

  10. The third group of inhalants is aerosol sprays. They are often the most used inhalants in the home and the easiest to access. Aerosol sprays include spray deodorant and hair sprays, vegetable oil cooking sprays, static cling sprays and spray paint.

  11. The fourth category of inhalants is nitrates. This includes cyclohexyl nitrite, amyl nitrite, and butyl nitrate. The slang words for these products is often “poppers” or “snappers.” They are found in some room deodorizers and capsules that release vapors when opened.

  12. Common Street Names • Inhalants are often referred to as Glue, Poppers, Huff, Sniff, Texas Shoeshine, Bang, Kick, Whippets, Laughing Gas, Snappers, Bold and Rush. National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

  13. How Are Inhalants Abused? • Inhalants can be breathed in through the nose or mouth in a number of ways including: “Sniffing” or “Snorting” fumes from containers. Spraying aerosols directly into the mouth or nose. “Huffing” from an inhalant-soaked rag stuffed in the mouth.

  14. Sniffing or inhaling fumes from substances sprayed or placed into a plastic or paper bag (also known as “bagging”). Inhaling from balloons filled with nitrous oxide. Intoxication lasts only a few minutes. Due to this, abusers often try to make the high last longer by inhaling repeatedly over several hours. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

  15. Effects of Inhalants • According to the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI), inhalants effect the body in a number of ways. • The brain is affected as substances or fumes are sniffed or huffed. They affect the brain with much greater speed and force than many other substances. They can cause irreversible physical and mental damage.

  16. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the brain goes through many changes due to inhalant use. • Inhalants often contain more than one chemical. While some of these chemicals quickly leave the body, others can remain for a long time, being absorbed by fatty tissues in the brain and central nervous system.

  17. Myelin is one of these fatty tissues. It provides a protective cover that surrounds many of the body’s nerve fibers or neurons. • Myelin helps the nerve fibers carry their messages to and from the brain. Damage to myelin can slow down communication between nerve fibers.

  18. Long-term inhalant use can break down Myelin, causing nerve cells to not send messages as efficiently. This can result in muscle spasms and tremors, or can lead to permanent difficulty with basic actions such as walking, bending and talking.

  19. Inhalants can also damage brain cells by preventing them from receiving enough oxygen. This condition, known as brain hypoxia, will have varied effects. If the hippocampus is affected, a person who repeatedly uses inhalants may lose the ability to learn new things or have a hard time carrying on simple conversations. If the cerebral cortex is affected, the ability to solve complex problems or plan ahead is diminished. If the cerebellum is affected, it can cause a person to move slowly or clumsily.

  20. The heart is affected as well. Inhalants starve the body of oxygen and force the heart to beat irregularly and more rapidly. • Inhalants also affect other parts of the body as people who use them can often experience nosebleeds and nausea; develop lung, liver and kidney problems; and lose their sense of smell or hearing. It can also lead to reduced muscle tone.

  21. Certain inhalants can also cause the body to produce fewer blood cells, which can result in aplastic anemia. Persons with this condition are unable to produce blood cells. • Inhalants can also cause immediate death. A person can be killed instantly. Inhalant users can die by suffocation, choking on their vomit or having a heart attack. NCADI; NIDA

  22. Short-Term Effects • Short-Term effects of using Inhalants include: ▪Increased heart rate ▪Hallucinations or delusions ▪Losing feeling or consciousness ▪Nausea and vomiting ▪Loss of coordination ▪Slurred speech

  23. Long-Term Effects • Long-Term effects of using Inhalants include: Brain damage Muscle weakness Depression Headaches and nosebleeds Loss of hearing or sense of smell Kids Health

  24. Inhalants Can Kill • According to Kids Health, causes of death due to inhalants include: ▪“Sudden Sniffing Death” is the most common cause of death from inhalant use. The heart beats quickly and irregularly, and then stops. ▪Asphyxia occurs when toxic fumes replace oxygen in the lungs, so that a person stops breathing.

  25. ▪Suffocation can happen when vapors are inhaled from a plastic bag placed over the head. The bag can block air. ▪Kids who use inhalants can often be injured. People high on inhalants often make bad decisions, such as driving under the influence or doing something irrational. They could also get burned or start explosions if a spark ignites flammable inhalants.

  26. ▪Choking occurs when a user chokes on his or her own vomit. ▪Suicide can also be a result of inhalant use. Some people become depressed when their high wears off and kill themselves.

  27. Signs Someone Is Using Inhalants • Exhaustion • Extreme anger or irritability • Loss of appetite • Frequent vomiting • Mood swings • Hallucinations and delusions • Frequent nose running and coughing

  28. Dilated pupils • Facial rashes and blisters • Spots and/or sores around the mouth • Extremely bad breath • Chemical odors on clothing • Paint or other stains on a person’s face, hands or clothing • Weight loss

  29. Disorientation • Uncoordinated movement • Muscle weakness • Slurred speech • Drunk, dazed, or dizzy appearance • Red eyes Kids Health, NIDA, NCADI and Parents. The Anti-Drug

  30. What Can Parents Do to Prevent Inhalant Use? • Parents must talk to their kids about the dangers of using inhalants. Most young children do not realize how dangerous inhalants can be. • Parents should also be careful about how common household products are stored in their homes. Parents. The Anti-Drug

  31. Several kinds of treatment are available for drug addiction. According to Kids Health, behavioral treatment is primarily used for inhalant addiction. • An expert in drug treatment will teach people how to function without drugs, as well as how to handle cravings, how to avoid situations that could lead to inhalant use, and how to prevent and handle relapses.

  32. Overcoming addiction is difficult without professional help and support. No one can do it alone. A counselor or the local yellow pages can be a resource into finding the help that is needed. • The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) offers a National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Service that provides free and confidential information on hotlines and counseling services. The toll-free number is 800-662-4357; treatment centers can also be found by accessing www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov.

  33. For More Information • SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, http://download.ncadi.samhsa.gov/prevline/pdfs/PHD631/T4T_Brochure_Inhalants_2008_Compliant_2p.pdf • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Inhalants/Inhalants.html http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Inhalants/Inhalants2.html#what

  34. Kids Health, http://teenshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/drugs/inhalants.html • Parents.The Anti-Drug, http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/drug_info_inhalants.asp http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/drug_info_inhalants_quickfacts.asp

  35. Missouri Department of Social Services State Technical Assistance Team Address: PO Box 208Jefferson City, MO 65102-0208 Telephone: (573) 751-5980(800) 487-1626(8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST, Monday – Friday) Email: dls.stat@dss.mo.gov

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