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Thin Air
Many young kids and teens think using inhalants for a quick high is safe.
These products are easy to find in the home, cheap to buy at the store, and available everywhere. We all use these products, so how could they possibly harm us? After all, even adults use them all the time. And what teenage girl doesn’t use hair spray?
These products harm us when we abuse them because inhalants contain extremely toxic chemical vapors. It is the abuse of, not the use of, inhalants that causes harm.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Web site, “many kids think inhalants are a harmless, cheap, and quick way to ‘catch a buzz.’ The chemicals in the vapors change the way the brain works, making the user feel very good for a short time. Inhalants can be found around the house or purchased inexpensively at the local grocery or general store. What kids often don’t know is that in some cases the harmful effects of inhalants can be irreversible.”
The vapors in inhalants can make the user feel very good. The “high” doesn’t last long, though, and the user often inhales again within a short period of time. Tragically, some inhale just one time and die of what is known as “sudden sniffing death syndrome.” This is caused by the heart beating very fast and crazy. It’s a roll of the dice and impossible to know who will be affected to the point of death.
Everyone who abuses inhalants is affected to some degree. The damage is often permanent. Inhalants can be addicting, and the person using will need more and more of the substance, and more often.
Inhalants are part of our lives. Many of the containers have warnings on them, to be used only in well-ventilated rooms and areas. This is to prevent people from accidentally breathing in the poisons. It is no secret that legal inhalants contain poison. If they’re used correctly, no harm will occur.
One inhalant, nitrous oxide, used by dentists and commonly called “laughing gas,” is now being used by some teens to get a quick high. Many partygoers consider nitrous oxide a “safe high.” This is far from the truth. People have died from the misuse of this gas. Properly used in a dental office, nitrous oxide is safe and effective. Misused at parties, nitrous oxide can be a killer.
Computer cleaning products, such as Dust-Off, have created a new avenue of abuse. But “canned air” isn’t just air, and it isn’t safe to inhale. It’s not unusual for permanent brain damage to result in kids and teens who have abused computer cleaning products, and some have died.
Inhalants are also considered “gateway” drugs. They are often the first drug kids use. Kids who used inhalants when younger
frequently go on to other drugs as teens.
The abuse of inhalants is illegal and a felony in many states. Drug laws for inhalants can be difficult to enforce, but Frank Macias, a counselor who works with teens involved in drug abuse, reports that teens can be expelled from school, especially if it’s a repeat problem. In some cases, teens are permanently expelled.
If you suspect a friend is abusing inhalants, it’s time to be concerned. Don’t wait. Talk to a school counselor, parent, teacher, or other trusted adult. For more information, go to http://teens.drugabuse.gov/index.php. This site is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and NIDA. Check it out, because it’s a cool place, just for teens. In fact, teens helped develop the Web site.
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