Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome
By James Bryant
Sean* was a member of his school’s UNITE program, which was organized to teach kids about the dangers of illegal drug use and discourage them from using. Maybe Sean felt safe because he was inhaling a “legal” product, something his parents probably bought at a drugstore to clear up athlete’s foot. When his father walked into the bathroom, he found Sean inhaling from the spray can. From there he went directly to his bedroom, lay down on the bed, and started vomiting. His family rushed him to the hospital, but when he arrived he had no pulse. Sean was dead.
He was only 11.
There are more than 1,400 household products available in one form or another that can be used to get high either by breathing in directly from the original container (sniffing or snorting), from a paper or plastic bag (bagging), or by holding an inhalant-soaked rag in the mouth, (huffing). The chemicals in inhalants that provide the high aren’t actually drugs, so technically they can’t be abused. They’re actually worse. They’re poisons. They might make you giddy, but they can also kill you.
Don’t be Just Another One in 1.1 Million
“Our data shows that 1.1 million 12- to 17-year-olds acknowledge using inhalants last year,” said Dr. H. Westley Clark, director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. “Our data also indicates that there are almost 600,000 teenagers [who] start using inhalants annually. However, inhalants can cause neurological damage,” along with sudden death from cardiac reactions or lack of oxygen,” Clark said. Although many adolescents die from using inhalants each year, an exact number isn’t known.”
So why would anyone play games with something that can kill you outright? Some may want to be popular or to fit in with their friends. Others want attention from their girlfriend or boyfriend, while others want to escape reality or eliminate problems. But inhalants don’t eliminate problems; sniffing only makes them worse. Inhalants can take over a user’s life to the extent that nothing else matters, whether it is food, friends, family, or health. Some users go to great lengths to get inhalants, using whatever means necessary.
Long time inhalant users get headaches and nosebleeds, and may suffer the loss of hearing and sense of smell. Inhalants are the most likely of abused substances to cause severe toxic reaction and death. Using inhalants—even one time—can kill you. This is called Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. Those who escape death may instead suffer brain damage or kidney failure.
Warning: Drug Abuse Comes Next
Teens high on household aerosol products experience symptoms of lightheadedness, dizziness, loss of inhibitions, a feeling of excitement followed by drowsiness, slurred speech, euphoria, and hallucinations or delusions, and they act much like they are intoxicated from drinking alcohol. Considered “gateway drugs” because they are often the first products kids use to experiment with getting high, inhalants can be very addictive. Teens who use them can become psychologically (mentally) dependent upon them to feel good, deal with life, or handle stress. It’s not uncommon for teens who survive inhalant abuse to go on to abusing illegal drugs or alcohol.
“Once kids start using inhalants, they are more susceptible to using other drugs such as marijuana, methamphetamines, and cocaine as they age,” Clark said. “Inhalants can produce psychological effects, but because they’re readily accessible, they are substitutes for other drugs.”
Think Before you Sniff
Before you let anyone talk you into sniffing anything, think about it. What if you damage something—your brain for instance—and have to live like that for the rest of your life? Is it worth the risk? What if you die? How will all the people you leave behind feel? The police who investigated Sean’s death don’t think he was trying to kill himself. He just sniffed something for the fun of it. Appar-ently he didn’t know any better. But you do. And you’re too smart to get caught in the trap of inhalant abuse. If you’re being pressured to try sniffing, or you’re curious because friends are doing it, talk to an adult in your life and remember three little words that may save your life: don’t do it.
*Not his real name. |
