Solvent Inhalants
Among teenagers, inhalants are used more frequently than cocaine or LSD but less frequently than marijuana or alcohol. Inhalant use is particularly a problem among children aged 12 and younger. Inhalants are found in many common household products.
The product may be sprayed into a plastic bag and inhaled (bagging, sniffing, or snorting), or a cloth soaked with the product may be placed next to the nose or in the mouth (huffing).
 See the sidebar Common Substances That Contain Solvent Inhalants.
See the sidebar Abused Inhalants That Have Medical Uses.
Symptoms and Complications
Users of solvent inhalants rapidly become intoxicated. Dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, slurred speech, and a reduced ability to stand and walk (unsteady gait) have been observed. These effects can last anywhere from a few minutes to more than an hour. The user may also become excited--not because the chemicals are stimulants. Death can occur, even the first time one of these products is directly inhaled, because of severely depressed breathing or an irregular heartbeat (cardiac arrhythmia).
Some people, usually teenagers or even young children, ignite the inhaled fumes with matches, producing a fire that travels right through the nose and mouth into the lungs. The severe burns to the skin and internal organs can be fatal. Others have died of oxygen deprivation (asphyxiation) because the inhaled spray coated the lungs, preventing oxygen from entering the bloodstream.
Chronic use or exposure to these chemicals (including exposure in the workplace) can severely damage the brain, heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs. In addition, the bone marrow may be damaged, affecting red blood cell production and causing anemia.
Treatment
Treating children and teenagers who use inhalants involves evaluating any organ damage. It also involves education and counseling to address mental health and sociologic problems. Recovery rates from inhalant use are among the poorest for any mood-altering substance.
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