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{{short description|Chemical, often household, breathed in to cause intoxication}} {{Redirect|Huffing|the 1978 song|Huffin|other uses |Huff (disambiguation)}} {{Redirect|Sniffing glue|the punk zine|Sniffin' Glue{{!}}''Sniffin' Glue''}} {{Distinguish|Inhaler}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox medical condition (new) | name = Inhalant use | image = Toxicoman_-_Substance_abuse.jpg | caption = A man huffing an inhalant | pronounce = | field = [[Toxicology]], [[psychiatry]] | symptoms = | complications = {{hlist|General: [[Suffocation]]||[[Hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]]|[[cerebral hemorrhage]]|[[brain damage]]|[[hypercapnia]]|[[coma]]|[[pulmonary aspiration]]|[[pneumonia]]|[[poisoning]]<br /> Gases: [[Frostbite]]|[[aerosol burn]]s|[[chemical burns]]<br /> Solvents: [[Stroke]]|[[cancer]]|[[cardiac arrest]]|[[heart attack]] }} | onset = | duration = | types = | causes = | risks = | diagnosis = | differential = [[Alcoholism]], [[inhaled anesthetics]], [[marijuana abuse]], [[tobacco smoking]], [[crack cocaine]], [[methamphetamines]], [[List of medical inhalants|medical inhalants]], [[chasing the dragon]] | prevention = | treatment = | medication = | prognosis = | frequency = | deaths = }} '''Inhalants''' are a broad range of household and industrial chemicals whose volatile vapors or pressurized gases can be concentrated and breathed in via the nose or mouth to produce [[Substance intoxication|intoxication]], in a manner not intended by the manufacturer. They are inhaled at room temperature through [[volatilization]] (in the case of gasoline or [[acetone]]) or from a pressurized container (e.g., [[nitrous oxide]] or [[butane]]), and do not include drugs that are sniffed after burning or heating.{{efn|For example, [[amyl nitrite]] ([[poppers]]), [[gasoline]], nitrous oxide and [[toluene]] – a solvent widely used in [[contact cement]], permanent markers, and certain types of glue – are considered inhalants, but smoking tobacco, [[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]], and [[crack cocaine]] are not, even though these drugs are inhaled as smoke or vapor.<ref name="FirstTasman2009">{{cite book|first1=Michael B.|last1=First|first2=Allan|last2=Tasman|title=Clinical Guide to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Disorders|date=2010|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jyXxmyysU7gC&pg=PA203|access-date=20 April 2010|chapter=Substance-Related Disorders: Inhalants|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|isbn=978-0-470-74520-5|page=203}}</ref><ref name=LowinsonEtAl2005>{{cite book |year=2005 |author=Sharp, Charles W |author2=Rosenberg, Neil L |chapter=Inhalants |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HtGb2wNsgn4C&pg=PA336 |editor=Lowinson, Joyce H |editor2=Ruiz, Pedro |editor3=Millman, Robert B |editor3-link=Robert Millman |editor4=Langrod, John G |title=Substance Abuse: A Comprehensive Textbook |edition=4th |place=Philadelphia |publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins |isbn=0-7817-3474-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HtGb2wNsgn4C |access-date=2 December 2010}}</ref>}} While a few inhalants are prescribed by medical professionals and used for [[List of medical inhalants|medical purposes]], as in the case of [[inhaled anesthetics]] and [[nitrous oxide]] (an [[anxiolytic]] and pain relief agent prescribed by dentists), this article focuses on inhalant use of household and industrial propellants, glues, fuels, and other products in a manner not intended by the manufacturer, to produce [[Substance intoxication|intoxication]] or other [[psychoactive effect]]s. These products are used as [[recreational drug]]s for their intoxicating effect. According to a 1995 report by the [[National Institute on Drug Abuse]], the most serious inhalant use occurs among [[Street children|homeless children and teenagers]] who "live on the streets completely without family ties."<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite report|url=http://archives.drugabuse.gov/pdf/monographs/148.pdf|title=Epidemiology of Inhalant Abuse: An International Perspective|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005024204/http://archives.drugabuse.gov/pdf/monographs/148.pdf|archive-date=5 October 2016|publisher=National Institute on Drug Abuse|id=NIDA Research Monograph 148|year=1995|editor-first=Nicholas|editor-last=Kozel|editor2-first=Zili|editor2-last=Sloboda|editor3=Mario De La Rosa}}</ref> Inhalants are the only substance used more by younger teenagers than by older teenagers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/inhalants|title=Inhalants|work=Drug Facts|publisher=National Institute on Drug Abuse|date=February 16, 2017|access-date=19 July 2017}}</ref> Inhalant users inhale [[vapor]] or aerosol propellant gases using plastic bags held over the mouth or by breathing from a solvent-soaked rag or an open container. The practices are known colloquially as "sniffing", "huffing" or "bagging". The effects of inhalants range from an [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]]-like [[Substance intoxication|intoxication]] and intense [[euphoria]] to vivid [[hallucination]]s, depending on the substance and the dose. Some inhalant users are injured due to the harmful effects of the solvents or gases or due to other chemicals used in the products that they are inhaling. As with any recreational drug, users can be injured due to dangerous behavior while they are intoxicated, such as [[driving under the influence]]. In some cases, users have died from [[hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]] (lack of oxygen), [[pneumonia]], [[heart failure]], [[cardiac arrest]],<ref name="gdcada.org">{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408021738/http://www.gdcada.org/statistics/inhalants.htm |url=http://www.gdcada.org/statistics/inhalants.htm |archive-date=8 April 2009 |publisher=Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse |date=4 March 2006 |title=Inhalants – Facts and Statistics}}</ref> or aspiration of vomit. Brain damage is typically seen with chronic long-term use of solvents as opposed to short-term exposure.<ref name="emedicine.com">{{cite web|first=Nicholas J.|last=Connors|title=Inhalants|url=http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1174630-overview|date=5 May 2017|access-date=19 July 2017|work=Medscape}}</ref> While legal when used as intended, in England, Scotland, and Wales it is illegal to sell inhalants to persons likely to use them as an intoxicant.<ref name="talktofrank.com">{{Cite web |title=Glues, gases and aerosols {{!}} FRANK |url=https://www.talktofrank.com/drug/glues-gases-and-aerosols |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=[[Talk to Frank]]}}</ref> As of 2017, thirty-seven US states impose criminal penalties on some combination of sale, possession or recreational use of various inhalants. In 15 of these states, such laws apply only to persons under the age of 18.<ref name="nationaltasc.org">{{Cite web |date=November 11, 2017 |title=Inhalant Laws By State, Which States Give Jail Time and Fines for Inhalant Abuse |url=https://www.nationaltasc.org/inhalant-laws-by-state/ |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=National TASC |language=en-US}}</ref> ==Categories== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: auto; text-align: center;" |- ! Safety ! Category ! Sub category ! Psychoactive effect ! [[ICD-10]] ! Examples ! Example image |- ! Medical | [[Nitrite]]s | | [[Dissociative]] | {{ICD10|T|65|3|t|51}}<br />{{ICD10|T|65|5|t|51}} | [[Alkyl nitrites]] ([[poppers]] such as [[amyl nitrite]]) | [[Image:Nitrite-group-2D.svg|frameless|center|90x50px]] |- ! Medical | [[NOx]] | | [[Dissociative]] | {{ICD10|T|59|0|t|51}} | [[Nitrous oxide]] (found in whipped cream canisters) | [[Image:Nitrous-oxide-2D-VB.svg|frameless|center|150x50px]] |- ! Medical (historical) | [[Haloalkane]]s | | [[Depressant]] | {{ICD10|T|53||t|51}} | [[Hydrofluorocarbon]]s, [[chlorofluorocarbon]]s (including many aerosols and propellants), chloroethanes ([[chloroethane]], [[1,1,1-Trichloroethane]]), [[trichloroethylene]], [[chloroform]] (the latter two being antiquated [[inhalational anaesthetic]]s) | [[Image:Chloroform displayed.svg|frameless|center|60x50px]] |- ! rowspan="2" | Toxic | rowspan="2" | Hydrocarbons | [[Aliphatic hydrocarbon]]s | [[Dissociative]] | {{ICD10|T|52|0|t|51}} | [[Petroleum product]]s (gasoline and [[kerosene]]), [[propane]], [[butane]] | [[Image:Butane simple.svg|frameless|center|90x60px]] |- | [[Aromatic hydrocarbon]]s | [[Dissociative]] | {{ICD10|T|52|1|t|51}}<br />{{ICD10|T|52|2|t|51}} | [[Toluene]] (used in paint thinner and model glue), [[xylene]] | [[Image:Toluol.svg|frameless|center|60x50px]] |- ! Toxic | [[Ketone]]s | | [[Depressant]] | {{ICD10|T|52|4|t|51}} | [[Acetone]] (used in [[nail polish remover]]) | [[Image:Acetone-2D-skeletal.svg|frameless|center|60x50px]] |} ==Medical inhalants== {{also|List of medical inhalants}} [[File:N2O Medical Tanks.jpg|thumb|right |upright=.55|Tanks of medical-grade nitrous oxide]] A small number of recreational inhalant drugs are pharmaceutical products that are used illicitly. * Antidote to cyanide poisoning ** [[Alkyl nitrites]] ([[poppers]]) * [[Inhalational anesthetic]]s used as [[general anesthetics]] ** [[Nitrous oxide]] ** [[Xenon]] * Historical general anesthetics ** [[Chloroethane]] ** [[Chloroform]] ** [[Diethyl ether|Ether]] Several medical anesthetics are used as recreational drugs, including [[diethyl ether]] (a drug that is no longer used medically, due to its high flammability and the development of safer alternatives) and [[nitrous oxide]], which has been widely used since the late 20th century by dentists as an [[anxiolytic|anti-anxiety drug]] and mild anesthetic during dental procedures. Diethyl ether has a long history of use as a recreational drug. The effects of ether intoxication are similar to those of [[ethanol|alcohol]] intoxication, but more potent. Also, due to NMDA antagonism, the user may experience all the psychedelic effects present in classical dissociatives such as [[ketamine]] in the forms of thought loops and the feeling of the mind being disconnected from one's body. Nitrous oxide is a dental anesthetic that is used as a recreational drug, either by users who have access to [[medical-grade]] gas canisters (e.g., dental hygienists or dentists) or by using the gas contained in [[whipped cream]] aerosol containers. Nitrous oxide inhalation can cause [[Analgesic|pain relief]], [[depersonalization]], [[derealization]], [[dizziness]], [[Euphoria (emotion)|euphoria]], and some sound distortion.<ref>{{cite book |last=Giannini |first=A. J. |year=1991 |chapter=Volatiles |page=396 |editor-last=Miller |editor-first=N. S. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?doi=VgetLfJBQv0C&pg=PA396 |title=Comprehensive Handbook of Drug and Alcohol Addiction |place=New York |publisher=Marcel Dekker |isbn=0-8247-8474-X}}</ref> ===Recreational use=== ====Liquids==== =====Alkyl nitrites===== {{main|Poppers}} [[File:HOpoppers.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.25|A selection of poppers]] Ingestion of [[alkyl nitrite]]s can cause [[methemoglobinemia]], and by inhalation it has not been ruled out.<ref name="pmid3430141">{{cite journal |vauthors=O'Toole JB, Robbins GB, Dixon DS |title=Ingestion of isobutyl nitrite, a recreational chemical of abuse, causing fatal methemoglobinemia |journal=J. Forensic Sci. |volume=32 |issue=6 |pages=1811–2 |date=November 1987 |doi=10.1520/JFS11240J |pmid=3430141}}</ref> The sale of [[alkyl nitrite]]-based poppers was banned in Canada in 2013. Although not considered a narcotic and not illegal to possess or use, they are considered a drug. Sales that are not authorized can now be punished with fines and prison.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://dailyxtra.com/canada/news/health-canada-cracks-poppers?market=209 |title = Health Canada cracks down on poppers | publisher = Pink Triangle Press | date = 25 June 2013 | first = Rob| last = Salerno | location = Canada}}</ref> Since 2007, reformulated poppers containing [[isopropyl nitrite]] are sold in Europe because only isobutyl nitrite is prohibited. In France, the sale of products containing butyl nitrite, pentyl nitrite, or isomers thereof, has been prohibited since 1990 on grounds of danger to consumers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?dateTexte=20090901&cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000166136 |title=Decree 90–274 of 26 March 1990 |language=fr |publisher=Legifrance.gouv.fr |date=15 May 2009 |access-date=26 July 2012}}</ref> In 2007, the government extended this prohibition to all alkyl nitrites that were not authorized for sale as drugs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?dateTexte=20090901&cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000341445 |title=Decree 2007-1636 of 20 November 2007 |language=fr |publisher=Legifrance.gouv.fr |access-date=26 July 2012}}</ref> After litigation by sex shop owners, this extension was quashed by the [[Council of State (France)|Council of State]] on the grounds that the government had failed to justify such a blanket prohibition: according to the court, the risks cited, concerning rare accidents often following abnormal usage, rather justified compulsory warnings on the packaging.<ref>[[Council of State (France)|Council of State]], [http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichJuriAdmin.do?oldAction=rechJuriAdmin&idTexte=CETATEXT000020868995 Ruling 312449, 15 May 2009]</ref> In the United Kingdom, poppers are widely available and frequently (legally) sold in [[Gay bar|gay clubs/bars]], [[sex shops]], drug paraphernalia [[head shops]], over the Internet and on markets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/switch/surgery/advice/drink_drugs/poppers/ |title=Advice – Poppers |publisher=BBC |date=1 January 1970 |access-date=26 July 2012}}</ref> It is illegal under [[Medicines Act 1968]] to sell them advertised for human consumption, and to bypass this, they are usually sold as odorizers. In the U.S., originally marketed as a prescription drug in 1937, amyl nitrite remained so until 1960, when the [[Food and Drug Administration]] removed the prescription requirement due to its safety record. This requirement was reinstated in 1969, after observation of an increase in recreational use. Other alkyl nitrites were outlawed in the U.S. by Congress through the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. The law includes an exception for commercial purposes. The term ''commercial purpose'' is defined to mean any use other than for the production of consumer products containing volatile alkyl nitrites meant for inhaling or otherwise introducing volatile alkyl nitrites into the human body for euphoric or physical effects.<ref>Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Public Law 1QO-690, section 2404) (15 U.S.C. 2d57a(e)(2)).</ref> The law came into effect in 1990. Visits to retail outlets selling these products reveal that some manufacturers have since reformulated their products to abide by the regulations, through the use of the legal [[cyclohexyl nitrite]] as the primary ingredient in their products, which are sold as video head cleaners, polish removers, or room odorants. ====Gases==== =====Nitrous oxide===== {{main|Recreational use of nitrous oxide}} {{Unsourced section|date=June 2024}} [[File:Big-ox-oxygen-canisters.png|thumb|right|The canister on the left is whipped cream, a product which is pressurized with nitrous oxide. The two canisters on the right contain 'flavoured' oxygen.]] [[Nitrous oxide]] can be categorized as a dissociative drug, as it can cause visual and auditory hallucinations. Anesthetic gases used for surgery, such as nitrous oxide or [[enflurane]], are believed to induce anesthesia primarily by acting as [[NMDA receptor antagonist]]s, open-channel blockers that bind to the inside of the calcium channels on the outer surface of the [[neuron]], and provide high levels of NMDA receptor blockade for a short period of time. This makes inhaled anesthetic gases different from other NMDA antagonists, such as [[ketamine]], which bind to a [[regulatory site]] on the NMDA-sensitive calcium transporter complex and provide slightly lower levels of NMDA blockade, but for a longer and much more predictable duration. This makes a deeper level of anesthesia achievable more easily using anesthetic gases but can also make them more dangerous than other drugs used for this purpose. Nitrous oxide is thought to be particularly non-toxic, though heavy long-term use can lead to a variety of serious health problems linked to the destruction of [[vitamin B12]] and [[folic acid]].<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=12751548 |year=2003 |last1=Weimann |first1=J |title=Toxicity of nitrous oxide |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=47–61 |journal=Best Practice & Research. Clinical Anaesthesiology |doi=10.1053/bean.2002.0264}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |pmid=2240633 |year=1990 |last1=Koblin |first1=DD |last2=Tomerson |first2=BW |last3=Waldman |first3=FM |last4=Lampe |first4=GH |last5=Wauk |first5=LZ |last6=Eger |first6=EI II |title=Effect of nitrous oxide on folate and vitamin B12 metabolism in patients |volume=71 |issue=6 |pages=610–7 |journal=Anesthesia and Analgesia |doi=10.1213/00000539-199012000-00007|s2cid=13536219 }}</ref> [[File:N2O whippets.jpg|thumb|right|Nitrous oxide "whippets" are small aerosol containers designed for charging whipped cream dispensers.]] [[File:N2O cracker.jpg|thumb|right|A nitrous oxide "cracker" device, for releasing the gas from whipped cream aerosol chargers.]] In the United States, possession of nitrous oxide is legal under federal law and is not subject to [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] purview.<ref name="ccle">{{cite web |url=http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/dll/N20_state_laws.htm |title=US Nitrous Oxide Laws (alphabetically) Based on a search of online free legal databases. Conducted May 2002 |publisher=Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics |access-date=30 July 2014 |archive-date=24 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080124114346/http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/dll/N20_state_laws.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is, however, regulated by the [[Food and Drug Administration]] under the Food Drug and Cosmetics Act; prosecution is possible under its "misbranding" clauses, prohibiting the sale or distribution of nitrous oxide for the purpose of [[recreational drug use|human consumption as a recreational drug]]. Many states have laws regulating the possession, sale, and distribution of nitrous oxide. Such laws usually ban distribution to minors or limit the amount of nitrous oxide that may be sold without a special license.{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}} For example, in the state of California, possession for recreational use is prohibited and qualifies as a misdemeanor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/cacode/PEN/3/1/10/s381b |title=CAL. PEN. CODE § 381b : California Code – Section 381b |publisher=Lp.findlaw.com}}</ref> In New Zealand, the [[New Zealand Ministry of Health|Ministry of Health]] has warned that nitrous oxide is a prescription medicine, and its sale or possession without a prescription is an offense under the Medicines Act.<ref>{{cite news |last=Anderton |first=Jim |date=26 June 2005 |url=http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/time039s-sham-sales-laughing-gas |title=Time's up for sham sales of laughing gas |publisher=Beehive.govt.nz |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108015457/http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/time039s-sham-sales-laughing-gas |archive-date=8 January 2015 }}</ref> This statement would seemingly prohibit all non-medicinal uses of the chemical, though it is implied that only recreational use will be legally targeted. In [[India]], for general anesthesia purposes, nitrous oxide is available as Nitrous Oxide IP. India's gas cylinder rules (1985) prohibit the transfer of gas from one cylinder to another for breathing purposes. Because India's Food & Drug Authority (FDA-India) rules state that transferring a drug from one container to another (refilling) is equivalent to manufacturing, anyone found doing so must possess a drug manufacturing license. ====Safety==== In contrast, a few inhalants like [[amyl nitrite]] and [[diethyl ether]] have medical applications and are not toxic in the same sense as solvents, though they can still be dangerous when used recreationally. ==Non-medical inhalants== {{main|Alcohol inhalation}} [[Ethanol]] (the alcohol which is normally drunk) is sometimes inhaled. The ethanol must be converted from liquid into gaseous state (vapor) or [[aerosol]] (mist),<ref name=slate>{{cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2004/09/vaporize_me.html |title=Vaporize Me |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |first=Amanda|last=Schaffer|date=8 September 2004|access-date=23 January 2014}}</ref> in some cases using a [[nebulizer]], a machine that agitates the liquid into an aerosol. The sale of nebulizers for inhaling ethanol was banned in some US states due to safety concerns.<ref name="nytimes2006">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/us/08whiskey.html|title=Citing Safety, States Ban Alcohol Inhalers|work=[[The New York Times]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=8 October 2006|access-date=23 January 2014}}</ref> ==Toxic inhalants== Most inhalant drugs that are used non-medically are ingredients in household or industrial chemical products that are not intended to be concentrated and inhaled. * [[Hydrocarbon poisoning]] ** Gases *** [[Butane]] *** [[Propane]] ** Solvents *** [[Gasoline]]/[[petrol]] *** [[Toluene]] ** Liquid/gas mixtures *** [[Freon]] * Ketones ** Solvents *** [[Acetone]] ===Solvents=== {{Gallery |title=Solvents |width=160 | height=170 |align=center |footer=Example 1 |File:USMC-07664.jpg |A range of petroleum-based products that can be used as inhalants. |File:Sanford king size.jpg |[[Permanent marker]]s have the potential to be inhalants |File:Nail polish drop.jpg |Common household products such as nail polish contain solvents that can be concentrated and inhaled, in a manner not intended by the manufacturer, to produce intoxication. Misuse of products in this fashion can be harmful or fatal. }} A wide range of volatile [[solvents]] intended for household or industrial use are inhaled as [[recreational drugs]]. This includes [[petroleum product]]s (gasoline and [[kerosene]]), [[toluene]] (used in [[paint thinner]], [[permanent markers]], [[contact cement]] and model glue), and [[acetone]] (used in [[nail polish remover]]). These solvents vaporize at room temperature. [[File:Filmas "Džimlai rūdi rallallā" uzņemšana Ministru kabinetā (8650399785).jpg|thumb|Whiteboard marker on a clapperboard.]] Until the early 1990s, the most common solvents that were used for the ink in [[permanent marker]]s were [[toluene]] and [[xylene]]. These two substances are both harmful<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/MMG/MMGDetails.aspx?mmgid=157&toxid=29|title=Toluene | Medical Management Guidelines | Toxic Substance Portal | ATSDR|website=wwwn.cdc.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://healthfully.com/harmful-effects-of-xylene-4564845.html|title=Healthfully|website=Healthfully}}</ref> and characterized by a very strong smell. Today, the ink is usually made on the basis of alcohols (e.g. [[1-Propanol]], [[1-butanol]], [[diacetone alcohol]] and [[cresol]]s). Organochlorine solvents are particularly hazardous; many of these are now restricted in developed countries due to their environmental impact.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jayaraj |first=Ravindran |last2=Megha |first2=Pankajshan |last3=Sreedev |first3=Puthur |date=2016-12-01 |title=Review Article. Organochlorine pesticides, their toxic effects on living organisms and their fate in the environment |url=https://www.sciendo.com/article/10.1515/intox-2016-0012 |journal=Interdisciplinary Toxicology |language=en |volume=9 |issue=3-4 |pages=90–100 |doi=10.1515/intox-2016-0012 |issn=1337-9569 |pmc=5464684 |pmid=28652852}}</ref> ====Legality==== [[File:Contact-cement 000000.jpg|thumb|upright=.75|Contact cement, a fast-drying glue, is widely used as an inhalant, as it typically contains solvents such as [[toluene]] which vaporize at room temperature.]] Even though solvent glue is normally a legal product, there is a 1983 case where a court ruled that supplying glue to children is illegal. ''[[Khaliq v HM Advocate]]'' was a Scottish criminal case decided by the [[High Court of Justiciary]] on appeal, in which it was decided that it was an offense at [[common law]] to supply glue-sniffing materials that were otherwise legal in the knowledge that they would be used recreationally by children. Two shopkeepers in [[Glasgow]] were arrested and charged for supplying children with "glue-sniffing kits" consisting of a quantity of petroleum-based glue in a plastic bag. They argued there was nothing illegal about the items that they had supplied. On appeal, the High Court took the view that, even though glue and plastic bags might be perfectly legal, everyday items, the two shopkeepers knew perfectly well that the children were going to use the articles as inhalants and the charge on the indictment should stand.<ref>SCCR p 492{{full citation needed|date=January 2020}}</ref> When the case came to trial at Glasgow High Court the two were sentenced to three years' imprisonment. As of 2023, in England, Scotland, and Wales it is illegal to sell inhalants, including solvent glues, to persons of any age likely to use them as an intoxicant.<ref name="talktofrank.com"/> As of 2017, thirty-seven US states impose criminal penalties on some combination of sale, possession or recreational use of various inhalants. In 15 of these states, such laws apply only to persons under the age of 18.<ref name="nationaltasc.org"/> ====Gasoline==== Gasoline sniffing can cause [[lead poisoning]],<ref name="pmid7139470">{{cite journal |author=Ross CA |title=Gasoline sniffing and lead encephalopathy |journal=Can Med Assoc J |volume=127 |issue=12 |pages=1195–7 |date=December 1982 |pmid=7139470 |pmc=1874752}}</ref> in locations where [[Banning of leaded petrol|leaded gas is not banned]]. ====Toluene==== [[Toluene]] can damage [[myelin]].<ref name="pmid14748556">{{cite journal |vauthors=Filley CM, Halliday W, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK |title=The effects of toluene on the central nervous system |journal=J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. |volume=63 |issue=1 |pages=1–12 |date=January 2004 |pmid=14748556 |doi=10.1093/jnen/63.1.1 |doi-access=free }}</ref> ===Gases=== [[Image:canned-air.jpg|thumb|right|Computer-cleaning dusters are dangerous to inhale because the gases expand and cool rapidly upon being sprayed.]] A number of gases intended for household or industrial use are inhaled as recreational drugs. This includes [[chlorofluorocarbon]]s used in aerosols and propellants (e.g., aerosol hair spray, aerosol deodorant). A gas used as a propellant in [[whipped cream]] aerosol containers, nitrous oxide, is used as a recreational drug. Pressurized canisters of [[propane]] and [[butane]] gas, both of which are intended for use as fuels, are used as inhalants. ====Legality==== "New Jersey... prohibits selling or offering to sell minors products containing chlorofluorocarbon that is used in refrigerant."<ref name="Inhalants: Legal consequences">{{Cite web |title=Controlled Substances " Inhalants: Legal consequences |url=http://ecstasy.com.ua/inhalants/inhalants-legal-consequences |website=ecstasy.com.ua |access-date=30 July 2014 |archive-date=8 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808044417/http://ecstasy.com.ua/inhalants/inhalants-legal-consequences |url-status=dead }}</ref> ===Dangers=== Statistics on deaths caused by heavy inhalant use are difficult to determine. It may be severely under-reported because death is often attributed to a discrete event such as a stroke or a heart attack, even if the event happened because of inhalant use.<ref>[https://nationaltasc.org/inhalants-abuse/ National Inhalant Prevention Coalition]. Inhalants.org. Retrieved 12 December 2010.</ref> Inhalant use was mentioned on 144 death certificates in [[Texas]] during the period 1988–1998 and was reported in 39 deaths in Virginia between 1987 and 1996 from acute voluntary exposure to used inhalants.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/S0376-8716(98)00139-2 |title=Deaths associated with inhalant abuse in Virginia from 1987 to 1996 |year=1999 |last1=Bowen |first1=Scott E |last2=Daniel |first2=Jack |last3=Balster |first3=Robert L |journal=Drug and Alcohol Dependence |volume=53 |issue=3 |pages=239–45 |pmid=10080050}}</ref> ====Chronic solvent-induced encephalopathy==== {{main|Chronic solvent-induced encephalopathy}} Chronic solvent-induced [[encephalopathy]] (CSE) is a condition induced by long-term exposure to organic [[solvent]]s, often—but not always—in the workplace, that lead to a wide variety of persisting sensorimotor [[polyneuropathies]] and neurobehavioral deficits even after solvent exposure has been removed.<ref name=Laan>{{cite journal|last=van der Laan|first=Gert|author2=Markku Sainio|title=Chronic Solvent induced Encephalopathy: A step Forward|journal=NeuroToxicology|year=2012|doi=10.1016/j.neuro.2012.04.012|pmid=22560998|volume=33|issue=4|pages=897–901|bibcode=2012NeuTx..33..897V }}</ref><ref name="Bast-Pettersen">{{cite journal|last1=Bast-Pettersen|first1=Rita|title=The neuropsychological diagnosis of chronic solvent induced encephalopathy (CSE)—A reanalysis of neuropsychological test results in a group of CSE patients diagnosed 20 years ago, based on comparisons with matched controls|journal=NeuroToxicology|date=November 2009|volume=30|issue=6|pages=1195–1201|doi=10.1016/j.neuro.2009.04.008|pmid=19422849|bibcode=2009NeuTx..30.1195B }}</ref><ref name="BakerLetz">{{cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=EL|last2=Letz|first2=RE|last3=Eisen|first3=EA|last4=Pothier|first4=LJ|last5=Plantamura|first5=DL|last6=Larson|first6=M|last7=Wolford|first7=R|title=Neurobehavioral effects of solvents in construction painters.|journal=Journal of Occupational Medicine|date=February 1988|volume=30|issue=2|pages=116–23|pmid=3351646}}</ref> ====Sudden sniffing death syndrome==== Sudden sniffing death syndrome, first described by [[Millard Bass]] in 1970,<ref>{{cite web |title=Hydrocarbon Inhalation Injury: Practice Essentials, Pathophysiology, Etiology |url=https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1005903-overview#:~:text=Sudden%20sniffing%20death%20syndrome%20was,ventricular%20dysrhythmias%20and%20sudden%20death. |access-date=4 October 2023 |date=2 September 2022}}</ref> is commonly known as SSDS. Solvents have many potential risks in common, including pneumonia, [[cardiac failure]] or arrest,<ref name="gdcada.org"/> and aspiration of vomit. The inhaling of some solvents can cause hearing loss, limb spasms, and damage to the central nervous system and brain.<ref name="gdcada.org"/> Serious but potentially reversible effects include liver and kidney damage and blood-oxygen depletion. Death from inhalants is generally caused by a very high concentration of fumes. Deliberately inhaling solvents from an attached paper or plastic bag or in a closed area greatly increases the chances of suffocation. Brain damage is typically seen with chronic long-term use as opposed to short-term exposure.<ref name="emedicine.com"/> [[Parkinsonism]] (see: [[Signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease]]) has been associated with huffing.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1002/ana.410350516 |title=Parkinsonism induced by solvent abuse |year=1994 |last1=Uitti |first1=Ryan J. |last2=Snow |first2=Barry J. |last3=Shinotoh |first3=Hitoshi |last4=Vingerhoets |first4=Francois J. G. |last5=Hayward |first5=Margo |last6=Hashimoto |first6=Stanley |last7=Richmond |first7=John |last8=Markey |first8=Sanford P. |last9=Markey |first9=Carol J. |journal=Annals of Neurology |volume=35 |issue=5 |pages=616–9 |pmid=8179306|s2cid=23657208 }}</ref> [[File:Oil3.jpg|thumb|right|The middle container is cooking spray, a household product, which is used as an inhalant.]] Female inhalant users who are pregnant may have adverse effects on the fetus, and the baby may be smaller when it is born and may need additional health care (similar to those seen with alcohol – [[fetal alcohol syndrome]]). There is some evidence of birth defects and disabilities in babies born to women who sniffed solvents such as gasoline. In the short term, death from solvent use occurs most commonly from [[drowning|aspiration of vomit]] while unconscious or from a combination of [[respiratory depression]] and [[hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Long-term damage from inhalant abuse|url=https://oxfordtreatment.com/substance-abuse/inhalant/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=Oxford Treatment Center}}</ref> Inhaling [[butane]] gas can cause drowsiness, [[unconsciousness]], [[asphyxia]], and cardiac arrhythmia.<ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201460/|chapter=1, Butane: Acute Exposure Guideline Levels|vauthors=((Committee on Acute Exposure Guideline Levels)), ((Committee on Toxicology)), ((Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology)), ((Division on Earth and Life Studies)), ((National Research Council))|title=Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Chemicals: Volume 12|date=27 April 2012|access-date=1 February 2017|location=Washington (DC)|publisher=National Academies Press (US)}}</ref> Butane is the most commonly misused volatile solvent in the UK and caused 52% of solvent-related deaths in 2000. When butane is sprayed directly into the throat, the jet of fluid can cool rapidly to −20 °C by [[adiabatic expansion]], causing prolonged [[laryngospasm]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ramsey|first1=J.|last2=Anderson|first2=H. R.|last3=Bloor|first3=K.|last4=Flanagan|first4=R. J.|date=July 1989|title=An introduction to the practice, prevalence and chemical toxicology of volatile substance abuse|journal=Human Toxicology|volume=8|issue=4|pages=261–269|issn=0144-5952|pmid=2777265|doi=10.1177/096032718900800403|s2cid=19617950}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Harris|first1=D.|last2=Mirza|first2=Z.|date=1 September 2005|title=Butane encephalopathy|url= |journal=Emergency Medicine Journal|volume=22|issue=9|pages=676–677|doi=10.1136/emj.2003.014134|issn=1472-0205|pmid=16113204|pmc=1726908}}</ref> Some inhalants can also indirectly cause sudden death by cardiac arrest, in a syndrome known as "sudden sniffing death".<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,588903,00.html | publisher=Fox News Channel | title='Huffing' More Popular Among 12 Year Olds Than Street Drugs | date=11 March 2010}}</ref> The anaesthetic gases present in the inhalants appear to sensitize the user to adrenaline and, in this state, a sudden surge of adrenaline (e.g., from a frightening hallucination or run-in with aggressors), may cause fatal [[cardiac arrhythmia]].<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=2777268 |year=1989 |last1=Shepherd |first1=RT |title=Mechanism of sudden death associated with volatile substance abuse |volume=8 |issue=4 |pages=287–91 |journal=Human Toxicology |doi=10.1177/096032718900800406|s2cid=35683481 }}</ref> Furthermore, the inhalation of any gas that is capable of displacing oxygen in the lungs (especially gases heavier than oxygen) carries the risk of [[hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]] as a result of the very mechanism by which breathing is triggered. Since reflexive breathing is prompted by elevated carbon dioxide levels (rather than diminished blood oxygen levels), breathing a concentrated, relatively inert gas (such as computer-duster [[1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane|tetrafluoroethane]] or nitrous oxide) that removes carbon dioxide from the blood without replacing it with oxygen will produce no outward signs of suffocation even when the brain is experiencing hypoxia. Once full symptoms of hypoxia appear, it may be too late to breathe without assistance, especially if the gas is heavy enough to lodge in the lungs for extended periods. Even completely inert gases, such as [[argon]], can have this effect if oxygen is largely excluded. ===Patterns of use=== Inhalant drugs are often used by children, teenagers, incarcerated or institutionalized people, and impoverished people, because these solvents and gases are ingredients in hundreds of legally available, inexpensive products, such as [[deodorant]] sprays, [[hair spray]], [[contact cement]] and aerosol [[air freshener]]s. However, most users tend to be "... adolescents (between the ages of 12 and 17)."{{refn|1=For example, studies on inhalant use in New Zealand showed that "... most of the inhalant abusers are within the 14- to 18-year-old age group"; in the Philippines, the mean age of sniffers was 15; in Korea, a 1992 study showed "86 percent are male and are below the age of 20"; about 3/4 of Singapore inhalant users in a 1987 study were 19 or younger.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>}} In some countries, chronic, heavy inhalant use is concentrated in marginalized, impoverished communities.<ref>{{cite web | last = Williams | first = Jonas | title = Responding to petrol sniffing on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands: A case study | work = Social Justice Report 2003 | publisher = Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission | date = March 2004 | url = http://www.hreoc.gov.au/Social_Justice/sjreport03/data/chap4.html | access-date = 27 December 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040927094057/http://www.hreoc.gov.au/Social_Justice/sjreport03/data/chap4.html |archive-date = 27 September 2004}}</ref>{{refn|1=Native children in Canada's isolated Northern Labrador community of [[Davis Inlet, Newfoundland and Labrador|Davis Inlet]] were the focus of national concern in 1993 when many were found to be sniffing gasoline. The federal Canadian and provincial [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] governments intervened on a number of occasions, sending many children away for treatment. Despite being moved to the new community of [[Natuashish, Newfoundland and Labrador|Natuashish]] in 2002, serious inhalant use problems have continued. Similar problems were also reported in [[Sheshatshiu, Newfoundland and Labrador|Sheshatshiu]] in 2000.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} }} Young people who become used to heavy amounts of inhalants chronically are also more likely to be those who are isolated from their families and community. The article "Epidemiology of Inhalant Abuse: An International Perspective" notes that "[t]he most serious form of obsession with inhalant use probably occurs in countries other than the United States where young children live on the streets completely without family ties. These groups almost always use inhalants at very high levels (Leal et al. 1978). This isolation can make it harder to keep in touch with the sniffer and encourage him or her to stop sniffing."<ref name="autogenerated1" /> The article also states that "... high [inhalant use] rates among [[barrio]] [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanics]] almost undoubtedly are related to the poverty, lack of opportunity, and social dysfunction that occur in barrios" and states that the "... same general tendency appears for Native-American youth" because "... Indian reservations are among the most disadvantaged environments in the United States; there are high rates of unemployment, little opportunity, and high rates of alcoholism and other health problems."<ref name="autogenerated1" /> There are a wide range of social problems associated with inhalant use, such as feelings of [[Suffering|distress]], [[anxiety (mood)|anxiety]] and grief for the community; violence and damage to property; violent crime; stresses on the [[juvenile delinquency|juvenile justice system]]; and stresses on youth agencies and support services. ====Africa and Asia==== Glue and gasoline (petrol) sniffing is also a problem in parts of Africa, especially with street children. In India and South Asia, three of the most widely used inhalants are the [[Dendrite (adhesive)|Dendrite]] brand and other forms of contact adhesives and rubber cement manufactured in [[Kolkata]], and [[toluene]]s in [[paint thinner]]s. Genkem is a brand of glue, which had become the generic name for all the glues used by glue-sniffing children in Africa before the manufacturer replaced [[n-hexane]] in its ingredients in 2000.<ref name="cassere2010">Cassere, Di (14 November 2000). [http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/glue-loses-high-to-save-street-kid-addicts-1.53018 Glue loses high to save street-kid addicts.] ''The Independent'' (South Africa)</ref> The [[United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime]] has reported that glue sniffing is at the core of "street culture" in [[Nairobi]], [[Kenya]], and that the majority of [[street children]] in the city are habitual solvent users.<ref name=Cottrell-Boyce>{{cite journal|last=Cottrell-Boyce|first=Joe|journal=African Journal of Drug & Alcohol Studies|year=2010|volume=9|issue=2|pages=93–102|url=https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajdas/article/view/64142/51938|access-date=2 December 2022|doi=10.4314/ajdas.v9i2.64142|title=The role of solvents in the lives of Kenyan street children: An ethnographic perspective|doi-access=free}}</ref> Research conducted by Cottrell-Boyce for the African Journal of Drug and Alcohol Studies found that glue sniffing amongst Kenyan street children was primarily functional – dulling the senses against the hardship of life on the street – but it also provided a link to the support structure of the "street family" as a potent symbol of shared experience.<ref name=Cottrell-Boyce /> Similar incidents of glue sniffing among destitute youth in the [[Philippines]] have also been reported, most commonly from groups of street children and teenagers collectively known as [[Rugby boy|"Rugby" boys]],<ref name="rugbyhuffing">{{cite news|url=http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/468093/rugby-cheap-high-citys-street-kids-first-two-parts|title='Rugby:' cheap high for city's street kids (First of two parts) |work=[[The Philippine Star]]|access-date=17 April 2013}}</ref> which were named after a brand of toluene-laden contact cement. Other toluene-containing substances have also been used, most notably the Vulca Seal brand of roof sealants. [[Bostik]] Philippines, which currently owns the Rugby and Vulca Seal brands, has since responded to the issue by adding [[bitterant]]s such as [[mustard oil]] to their Rugby line,<ref name="ecowaste">{{cite web|url=http://ecowastecoalition.blogspot.com/2013/04/government-urged-to-step-up-drive-vs_7.html|title=EcoWaste Coalition: Government Urged to Step Up Drive vs. Inhalant Abuse (Watchdog Pushes Ban on Sale to Children of Rugby, "Vulca Seal" and Allied Products)|work=[[Blogger (service)|Blogger]]|publisher=EcoWaste Coalition|access-date=17 April 2013}}</ref> as well as reformulating it by replacing toluene with [[xylene]]. Several other manufacturers have also followed suit. Another very common inhalant is Erase-X, a [[correction fluid]] that contains toluene. It has become very common for school and college students to use it, because it is easily available in stationery shops in India. This fluid is also used by street and working children in Delhi.<ref> {{cite journal |doi=10.1080/10826080500222792 |title=Street and working children of Delhi, India, misusing toluene: an ethnographic exploration |year=2005 |last1=Seth |first1=Rajeev |last2=Kotwal |first2=Atul |last3=Ganguly |first3=K. K. |journal=Substance Use & Misuse |volume=40 |issue=11 |pages=1659–79 |pmid=16253933|s2cid=22730800 }}</ref> ====Europe and North America==== In the UK, marginalized youth use a number of inhalants, such as solvents and propellants. In Russia and Eastern Europe, gasoline sniffing became common on Russian ships following attempts to limit the supply of [[alcoholic beverage|alcohol]] to ship crews in the 1980s. The documentary ''[[Children Underground]]'' depicts the huffing of a solvent called [[Aurolac]] (a product used in chroming) by Romanian homeless children. During the [[interwar period]], the inhalation of [[diethyl ether|ether]] ([[etheromania]]) was widespread in some regions of Poland, especially in [[Upper Silesia]]. Tens of thousands of people were affected by this problem.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Abucewicz |first1=Monika |title=Narkomania w Polsce jako problem społeczny w perspektywie konstrukcjonistycznej Część pierwsza: okres międzywojenny |trans-title=Drug addiction in Poland as a social constructionist perspective in Part One: the period between |language=pl |journal=Alkoholizm I Narkomania |issue=3 |volume=18 |pages=79–107 |year=2005 |url=http://www.ipin.edu.pl/ain/archiwum/2005/3/t18n3_5.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011134718/http://www.ipin.edu.pl/ain/archiwum/2005/3/t18n3_5.pdf |archive-date=11 October 2010 }}</ref> In Canada, Native children in the isolated Northern Labrador community of [[Davis Inlet, Newfoundland and Labrador|Davis Inlet]] were the focus of national concern in 1993, when many were found to be sniffing gasoline. The Canadian and provincial [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] governments intervened on a number of occasions, sending many children away for treatment. Despite being moved to the new community of [[Natuashish, Newfoundland and Labrador|Natuashish]] in 2002, serious inhalant use problems have continued. Similar problems were reported in [[Sheshatshiu, Newfoundland and Labrador|Sheshatshiu]] in 2000 and also in [[Pikangikum First Nation]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/DeathInvestigations/office_coroner/PublicationsandReports/Pikangikum/PIK_report.html|last= Lauwers|first= Bert|title= The Office of the Chief Coroner's Death Review of the Youth Suicides at the Pikangikum First Nation, 2006 – 2008|publisher= Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario|date= 1 June 2011|access-date= 2 October 2011|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120930122313/http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca//english/DeathInvestigations/office_coroner/PublicationsandReports/Pikangikum/PIK_report.html|archive-date= 30 September 2012|df= dmy-all}}</ref> In 2012, the issue once again made the news media in Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/labrador-innu-kids-sniffing-gas-again-to-fight-boredom-1.1272679|title=Labrador Innu kids sniffing gas again to fight boredom|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=18 June 2012}}</ref> In Mexico, the inhaling of a mixture of gasoline and industrial solvents, known locally as "Activo" or "Chemo", has risen in popularity among the homeless and among the street children of [[Mexico City]] in the 21st century. The mixture is poured onto a handkerchief and inhaled while held in one's fist. In the US, [[Diethyl ether|ether]] was used as a recreational drug during the 1930s [[Prohibition era]], when alcohol was made illegal. Ether was either sniffed or drunk and, in some towns, replaced alcohol entirely. However, the risk of death from excessive sedation or overdose is greater than that with alcohol, and ether drinking is associated with damage to the stomach and gastrointestinal tract.<ref>{{cite book | last = Brecher | first = Edward M. | title = The Consumers Union Report on Licit and Illicit Drugs | url = https://archive.org/details/licitillicitdrug00brec | url-access = registration |publisher=Little, Brown, and Company | year= 1972 | isbn = 0-316-15340-0}}</ref> Use of glue, paint and gasoline became more common after the 1950s. Model airplane glue-sniffing as problematic behavior among youth was first reported in 1959 and increased in the 1960s.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VnIOrgEACAAJ&q=google+books+model+airplanes+are+decadent|title=Model Airplanes are Decadent and Depraved: The Glue-sniffing Epidemic of the 1960s|first=Thomas|last=Aiello|date=1 July 2015|publisher=Northern Illinois University Press|via=Google Books|isbn=9780875807249}}</ref> Use of aerosol sprays became more common in the 1980s, as older propellants such as [[Chlorofluorocarbon|CFCs]] were phased out and replaced by more environmentally friendly compounds such as [[propane]] and [[butane]]. Most inhalant solvents and gases are not regulated under drug laws such as the United States [[Controlled Substances Act]]. However, many US states and Canadian cities have placed restrictions on the sale of some solvent-containing products to minors, particularly for products widely associated with sniffing, such as [[model cement]]. The practice of [[Inhalation|inhaling]] such substances is sometimes colloquially referred to as huffing, sniffing (or glue sniffing), dusting, or chroming. ====Australia==== {{see also|Indigenous Australian#Substance abuse}} [[File:Gasoline for Sale in Phuket (5730235828).jpg|thumb|right|Gasoline (also known as petrol) is used as an inhalant in impoverished communities.]] Australia has long faced a petrol (gasoline) sniffing problem in isolated and impoverished [[Australian Aborigines|aboriginal]] communities. Although some sources argue that sniffing was introduced by United States [[soldier|servicemen]] stationed in the nation's [[Top End]] during [[World War II]]<ref>{{cite web | last = Wortley | first = R. P. | title = Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights (Regulated Substances) Amendment Bill | work = Hansard – Legislative Council (South Australia) |date= 29 August 2006 | url = http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/SAN/Attachments/Hansard/2006/LC/WH290806.LC.htm | access-date = 27 December 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929121901/http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/SAN/Attachments/Hansard/2006/LC/WH290806.LC.htm |archive-date = 29 September 2007}}</ref> or through experimentation by 1940s-era [[Cobourg Peninsula]] sawmill workers,<ref>{{cite web |last = Brady |first = Maggie |title = Community Affairs Reference Committee Reference: Petrol sniffing in remote Aboriginal communities |page = 11 |work = Official Committee Hansard (Senate) |date = 27 April 2006 |url = http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/commttee/S9271.pdf |access-date = 20 March 2006 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060912011023/http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/commttee/S9271.pdf |archive-date = 12 September 2006 |df = dmy-all }}</ref> other sources claim that inhalant abuse (such as glue inhalation) emerged in Australia in the late 1960s.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> Chronic, heavy petrol sniffing appears to occur among remote, impoverished [[indigenous Australians|indigenous]] communities, where the ready accessibility of petrol has helped to make it a common addictive substance. In Australia, petrol sniffing now occurs widely throughout remote Aboriginal communities in the [[Northern Territory]], [[Western Australia]], northern parts of [[South Australia]], and [[Queensland]]. The number of people sniffing petrol goes up and down over time as young people experiment or sniff occasionally. "Boss", or chronic, sniffers may move in and out of communities; they are often responsible for encouraging young people to take it up.<ref>{{cite web | last = Williams | first = Jonas | title = Responding to petrol sniffing on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands: A case study | work = Social Justice Report 2003 | publisher = Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission | date = March 2004 | url = http://www.humanrights.gov.au/social_justice/sj_report/sjreport03/chap4.html | access-date = 27 December 2006 }}</ref> A 1983 survey of 4,165 secondary students in New South Wales showed that solvents and aerosols ranked just after analgesics (e.g., codeine pills) and alcohol for drugs that were inappropriately used. This 1983 study did not find any common usage patterns or social class factors.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> The causes of death for inhalant users in Australia included pneumonia, cardiac failure/arrest, aspiration of vomit, and burns. In 1985, there were 14 communities in Central Australia reporting young people sniffing. In July 1997, it was estimated that there were around 200 young people sniffing petrol across 10 communities in Central Australia. Approximately 40 were classified as chronic sniffers. There have been reports of young Aboriginal people sniffing petrol in the urban areas around [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]] and [[Alice Springs, Northern Territory|Alice Springs]]. In 2005, the [[Government of Australia]] and [[BP]] Australia began the usage of [[Opal (fuel)|opal fuel]] in remote areas prone to petrol sniffing.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/Committee/clac_ctte/petrol_sniffing/submissions/sub03.pdf|title=Submission to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee by BP Australia Pty Ltd|publisher=Parliament of Australia|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614103002/http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/clac_ctte/petrol_sniffing/submissions/sub03.pdf|archive-date=14 June 2007|access-date=8 June 2007}}</ref> Opal is a non-sniffable fuel (which is much less likely to cause a high) and has made a difference in some indigenous communities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Petrol sniffing|date=23 January 2019 |url=https://www.menzies.edu.au/page/Research/Indigenous_Health/Smoking_alcohol_drugs_and_other_addictive_behaviours/Petrol-sniffing/|access-date=5 August 2022|publisher=Menzies School of Health Research}}</ref> ==Administration and effects== Inhalant users inhale vapors or aerosol propellant gases using plastic bags held over the mouth or by breathing from an open container of solvents, such as gasoline or paint thinner. Nitrous oxide gases from whipped cream aerosol cans, aerosol hairspray or non-stick frying spray are sprayed into plastic bags. Some nitrous oxide users spray the gas into balloons. When inhaling non-stick cooking spray or other aerosol products, some users may filter the aerosolized particles out with a rag. Some gases, such as propane and butane gases, are inhaled directly from the canister. Once these solvents or gases are inhaled, the extensive capillary surface of the [[human lung|lung]]s rapidly absorbs the solvent or gas, and blood levels peak rapidly. The intoxication effects occur so quickly that the effects of inhalation can resemble the intensity of effects produced by intravenous injection of other psychoactive drugs.<ref>{{cite web |last = Joseph |first = Donald E. |title = Inhalants |work = Drugs of Abuse |publisher = United States Drug Enforcement Administration |year = 2005 |url = http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/abuse/doa-p.pdf |access-date = 26 January 2011 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110101125817/http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/abuse/doa-p.pdf |archive-date = 1 January 2011 |df = dmy-all }} </ref> Ethanol is also inhaled, either by vaporizing it by pouring it over [[dry ice]] in a narrow container and inhaling with a straw or by pouring alcohol in a corked bottle with a pipe, and then using a bicycle pump to make a [[spray (liquid drop)|spray]]. Alcohol can be vaporized using a simple container and open-flame heater.<ref name=forbes>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2013/06/21/the-dangers-of-smoking-alcohol/|title=The Dangers Of "Smoking" Alcohol|last=Glatter|first=Robert|date=21 June 2013|work=Forbes|access-date=23 January 2014}}</ref> Medical devices such as asthma nebulizers and inhalers were also reported as a means of application. The practice gained popularity in 2004, with the marketing of the device dubbed AWOL (Alcohol without liquid), a play on the military term [[AWOL]] (Absent Without Leave).<ref name=slate/> AWOL, created by British businessman Dominic Simler,<ref name=slate/> was first introduced in Asia and Europe, and then in the United States in August 2004. AWOL was used by nightclubs, at gatherings and parties, and it garnered attraction as a [[novelty]], as people 'enjoyed passing it around in a group'.<ref name=bbc>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/3493487.stm |title=Inhaling alcohol may 'harm brain' |publisher=BBC |date= 16 February 2004}}</ref> AWOL uses a [[nebulizer]], a machine that agitates the liquid into an [[aerosol]]. AWOL's official website states that "AWOL and AWOL 1 are powered by ''Electrical Air Compressors'' while AWOL 2 and AWOL 3 are powered by ''electrical oxygen generators''",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.awolspirit.com/purchasing.htm |title=AWOL Official page: AIR POWERED AWOL MACHINES |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202111418/http://www.awolspirit.com/purchasing.htm |archive-date=2 February 2014 }}</ref> which refer to a couple of mechanisms used by the nebulizer drug delivery device for inhalation. Although the AWOL machine is marketed as having no downsides, such as the lack of calories or hangovers, Amanda Shaffer of ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'' describes these claims as "dubious at best".<ref name=slate/> Although inhaled alcohol does reduce the caloric content, the savings are minimal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2013/06/smoking_alcohol_can_you_inhale_calories.html|title=Can You Inhale Calories?|last=Palmer|first=Brian|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=18 June 2013|access-date=23 January 2014}}</ref> After expressed safety and health concerns, sale or use of AWOL machines was [[#Regulation|banned]] in a number of American states.<ref name="nytimes2006"/> The effects of [[solvent]] intoxication can vary widely depending on the dose and what type of solvent or gas is inhaled. A person who has inhaled a small amount of rubber cement or paint thinner vapor may be impaired in a manner resembling alcohol inebriation. A person who has inhaled a larger quantity of solvents or gases, or a stronger chemical, may experience stronger effects such as distortion in perceptions of time and space, [[hallucination]]s, and emotional disturbances. The effects of inhalant use are also modified by the combined use of inhalants and alcohol or other drugs. In the short term, many users experience headaches, nausea and vomiting, slurred speech, loss of [[motor coordination]], and wheezing. A characteristic "glue sniffer's rash" around the nose and mouth is sometimes seen after prolonged use. An odor of paint or solvents on clothes, skin, and breath is sometimes a sign of inhalant abuse, and paint or solvent residues can sometimes emerge in sweat.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Public Health Bush Book | publisher = Northern Territory Government, Department of Health and Community Services |year= 2002 | url = http://www.nt.gov.au/health/healthdev/health_promotion/bushbook/volume2/chap1/petrol.htm | access-date = 27 December 2006}}</ref> According to NIH, even a single session of inhalant use "can disrupt heart rhythms and lower oxygen levels", which can lead to death. "Regular abuse can result in serious harm to the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/inhalants.html|title=Inhalants: MedlinePlus|access-date=19 July 2017}}</ref> ==General risks== Many inhalants are volatile [[organic chemicals]] and can catch fire or explode, especially when combined with smoking. As with many other drugs, users may also injure themselves due to loss of coordination or impaired judgment, especially if they attempt to operate machinery. ===Hypoxia=== All commonly abused inhalants act as [[asphyxiant gas]]es, although a common myth is that their primary effects are only due to [[oxygen deprivation]]. In reality, the majority of abused inhalants still exhibit psychoactive effects,<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1176/appi.neuropsych.270101 | title=Occupational Exposure to Solvents: Neuropsychiatric and Imaging Features | journal=The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences | date=January 2015 | volume=27 | issue=1 | pages=1–6 | last1=Hurley | first1=Robin A. | last2=Taber | first2=Katherine H. | pmid=25716516 | doi-access=free }}</ref> although oxygen deprivation does add to the notable effects. Regardless of which inhalant is used, inhaling vapors or gases can lead to injury or death. One major risk is [[Hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]] (lack of oxygen), which can occur due to inhaling fumes from a plastic bag, or from using proper inhalation mask equipment (e.g., a medical mask for nitrous oxide) but not adding oxygen or room air. ===Frostbite=== Another danger is freezing the throat. When a gas that was stored under high pressure is released, it cools abruptly and can cause [[frostbite]] if it is inhaled directly from the container. This can occur, for example, with inhaling nitrous oxide. When nitrous oxide is used as an automotive [[Nitrous|power adder]], its cooling effect is used to make the fuel-air charge denser. In a person, this effect is potentially lethal. The second cause being especially a risk with heavier-than-air vapors such as [[butane]] or gasoline vapor. Deaths typically occur from complications related to excessive sedation and vomiting. Actual overdose from the drug does occur, however, and inhaled solvent use is statistically more likely to result in life-threatening respiratory depression than [[intravenous]] use of opioids such as heroin.{{cn|date=May 2025}} Most deaths from solvent use could be prevented if individuals were resuscitated quickly when they stopped breathing and their airways cleared if they vomited. However, most inhalant use takes place when people inhale solvents by themselves or in groups of people who are intoxicated. Certain solvents are more hazardous than others, such as gasoline. ===Aerosol burn=== {{main|Aerosol burn}} Use of [[butane]], [[propane]], [[nitrous oxide]] and other inhalants can create a risk of freezing [[burn]]s from contact with the extremely cold liquid. The risk of such contact is greatly increased by the impaired judgement and motor coordination brought on by inhalant intoxication. ===Risks of specific agents=== * [[Methylene chloride]], after being metabolized, can cause [[carbon monoxide poisoning]].<ref name="pmid7437838">{{cite journal |vauthors=Fagin J, Bradley J, Williams D |title=Carbon monoxide poisoning secondary to inhaling methylene chloride |journal=Br Med J |volume=281 |issue=6253 |page=1461 |date=November 1980 |pmid=7437838 |pmc=1714874 |doi=10.1136/bmj.281.6253.1461}}</ref> * [[Carbon tetrachloride]] can cause significant damage to multiple systems, but its association with [[liver]] damage is so strong that it is used in animal models to induce liver injury.<ref name="pmid12466116">{{cite journal |vauthors=Yu C, Wang F, Jin C, Wu X, Chan WK, McKeehan WL |title=Increased carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury and fibrosis in FGFR4-deficient mice |journal=Am. J. Pathol. |volume=161 |issue=6 |pages=2003–10 |date=December 2002 |pmid=12466116 |pmc=1850898 |doi=10.1016/S0002-9440(10)64478-1}}</ref> * [[Benzene]] use can cause [[bone marrow]] depression.<ref name="Wallace2008">{{cite book|first=Robert B.|last=Wallace|title=Wallace/Maxcy-Rosenau-Last public health & preventive medicine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5ACWr8YcB2AC&pg=PA624|access-date=20 April 2010|year=2008|publisher=McGraw-Hill Professional|isbn=978-0-07-144198-8|pages=624–}}</ref> It is also a known [[carcinogen]]. ===Excess NMDA antagonism=== Toxicity may also result from the pharmacological properties of the drug; excess [[NMDA]] antagonism can completely block calcium influx into neurons and provoke cell death through [[apoptosis]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=NMDA receptor antagonists and Alzheimer's|url=https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/nmda-receptor-antagonists|access-date=2021-02-17|website=WebMD|language=en}}</ref> although this is more likely to be a long-term result of chronic solvent use than a consequence of short-term use. == Inhalant-related disorders == Inhalant-related disorders are a group of mental health conditions associated with the misuse of volatile substances. These disorders are recognised in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ([[DSM-5]]) and the International Classification of Diseases ([[ICD-11]]), though there are notable differences between the two classification systems.<ref name="i621"/> The DSM-5 identifies four primary types of inhalant-related disorders: inhalant intoxication, inhalant use disorder, inhalant-induced disorders, and unspecified inhalant-related disorder.<ref name="i621">{{cite book | title=Kaplan & Sadock's comprehensive textbook of psychiatry | publisher=Wolters Kluwer | publication-place=Philadelphia | date=2025 | isbn=978-1-9751-7573-3 | chapter=11.7 Inhalant-Related Disorders}}</ref> * Inhalant [[Substance intoxication|intoxication]] refers to acute symptoms resulting from recent inhalant use. * Inhalant use disorder is characterised by a persistent pattern of volatile hydrocarbon use that leads to clinically significant distress or impairment. * Inhalant-induced disorders encompass conditions caused by the toxic effects of inhalant substances and include inhalant intoxication [[delirium]], inhalant-induced [[Psychosis|psychotic disorder]], inhalant-induced anxiety disorder, inhalant-induced depressive disorder, and inhalant-induced major or mild [[neurocognitive disorder]]. * Unspecified inhalant-related disorder applies to cases where symptoms linked to inhalant use do not meet the criteria for the other defined categories. The ICD-11 includes a diagnosis for [[Volatile inhalant withdrawal|inhalant withdrawal]], which is not covered in the DSM-5.<ref name="i621"/> ==In popular culture== ===Music and musical culture=== One of the early musical references to inhalant use occurs in the 1974 [[Elton John]] song "[[The Bitch Is Back]]", in the line "I get high in the evening sniffing pots of glue." Inhalant use, especially glue-sniffing, is widely associated with the late-1970s [[Punk subculture|punk]] youth subculture in the UK and North America. Raymond Cochrane and Douglas Carroll claim that when glue sniffing became widespread in the late 1970s, it was "adopted by punks because public [negative] perceptions of sniffing fitted in with their self-image" as rebels against societal values.<ref name="Cochrane-Carroll">Raymond Cochrane, Douglas Carroll, ''Psychology and Social Issues: A Tutorial Text'', published 1991, Routledge 227 pages {{ISBN|1-85000-836-1}}</ref> While punks at first used inhalants "experimentally and as a cheap high, adult disgust and hostility [to the practice] encouraged punks to use glue sniffing as a way of shocking society." As well, using inhalants was a way of expressing their anti-corporatist [[Do it yourself|DIY]] (do it yourself) credo;<ref name="Cochrane-Carroll"/> by using inexpensive household products as inhalants, punks did not have to purchase industrially manufactured liquor or beer. [[File:GutterPunksDecaturStreet2002.jpg|thumb|right|The [[punk subculture]], in which members may live in [[squatting|squats]] or [[homelessness|on the street]], has been associated with "glue sniffing" since its inception.]] One history of the punk subculture argues that "substance abuse was often referred to in the music and did become synonymous with the genre, glue-sniffing especially" because the youths' "faith in the future had died and that the youth just didn't care anymore" due to the "awareness of the threat of nuclear war and a pervasive sense of doom." In a BBC interview with a person who was a punk in the late 1970s, they said that "there was a real fear of imminent [[nuclear war]]—people were sniffing glue knowing that it could kill them, but they didn't care because they believed that very soon everybody would be dead anyway." A number of 1970s [[punk rock]] and 1980s [[hardcore punk]] songs refer to inhalant use. The [[Ramones]], an influential early US punk band, referred to inhalant use in several of their songs. The song "[[Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue]]" describes adolescent boredom, and the song "Carbona not Glue" states, "My brain is stuck from shooting glue." An influential punk [[fanzine]] about the subculture and music took its name (''[[Sniffin' Glue]]'') from the Ramones song. The 1980s punk band [[The Dead Milkmen]] wrote a song, "Life is Shit" from their album ''[[Beelzebubba]]'', about two friends hallucinating after sniffing glue. Punk-band-turned-hip-hop group the [[Beastie Boys]] penned a song "Hold it Now – Hit It", which includes the line "cause I'm beer drinkin, breath stinkin, sniffing glue." Their song "Shake Your Rump" includes the lines, "Should I have another sip no skip it/In the back of the ride and bust with the whippits". [[Pop punk]] band [[Sum 41]] wrote a song, "[[Fat Lip]]", which refers to a character who does not "make sense from all the gas you be huffing..." The song "Lança-Perfume", written and performed by Brazilian pop star [[Rita Lee]], became a national hit in 1980. The song is about chloroethane and its widespread recreational sale and use during the rise of Brazil's carnivals. Inhalants are referred to by bands from other genres, including several [[grunge]] bands—an early 1990s genre that was influenced by punk rock. The 1990s [[grunge]] band [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], which was influenced by punk music, penned a song, "[[Dumb (Nirvana song)|Dumb]]", in which [[Kurt Cobain]] sings "my heart is broke / But I have some glue / help me inhale / And mend it with you". [[L7 (band)|L7]], an all-female grunge band, penned a song titled "Scrap" about a skinhead who inhales spray-paint fumes until his mind "starts to gel". Also in the 1990s, the [[Britpop]] band [[Suede (band)|Suede]] had a UK hit with their song "[[Animal Nitrate]]" whose title is a thinly veiled reference to [[amyl nitrite]]. The [[Beck]] song "Fume" from his "Fresh Meat and Old Slabs" release is about inhaling [[nitrous oxide]]. Another Beck song, "Cold Ass Fashion", contains the line "O.G. – Original Gluesniffer!" [[Primus (band)|Primus]]'s 1999 song "[[Lacquer Head]]" is about adolescents who use inhalants to get high. [[Hip hop]] performer [[Eminem]] wrote a song, "Bad Meets Evil", which refers to breathing "... ether in three lethal amounts." The Brian Jonestown Massacre, a retro-rock band from the 1990s, has a song, "Hyperventilation", which is about sniffing model-airplane cement. Frank Zappa's song "Teenage Wind" from 1981 has a reference to glue sniffing: "Nothing left to do but get out the 'ol glue; Parents, parents; Sniff it good now..." ===Films=== A number of films have depicted or referred to the use of solvent inhalants. In the 1968 film ''[[How Sweet It Is!]]'', Grif Henderson ([[James Garner]]), refers to him and his young son once making model aeroplanes together, but says, "...now all he wants to do is sniff the glue". The 1980 comedy film ''[[Airplane!]]'', the character of McCroskey ([[Lloyd Bridges]]) refers to his inhalant use when he states, "I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue." In the 1996 film ''[[Citizen Ruth]]'', the character Ruth ([[Laura Dern]]), a homeless drifter, is depicted inhaling [[patio sealant]] from a paper bag in an alleyway. In the tragicomedy ''[[Love Liza]]'', the main character, played by [[Philip Seymour Hoffman]], plays a man who takes up building remote-controlled airplanes as a hobby to give him an excuse to sniff the fuel in the wake of his wife's suicide. [[Harmony Korine]]'s 1997 ''[[Gummo]]'' depicts adolescent boys inhaling contact cement for a high. Edet Belzberg's 2001 documentary ''[[Children Underground]]'' chronicles the lives of Romanian street children addicted to inhaling paint. In ''[[The Basketball Diaries (film)|The Basketball Diaries]]'', a group of boys is huffing Carbona cleaning liquid at 3 minutes and 27 seconds into the movie; further on, a boy is reading a diary describing the experience of sniffing the cleaning liquid. In the [[David Lynch]] film ''[[Blue Velvet (film)|Blue Velvet]]'', the bizarre and manipulative character played by [[Dennis Hopper]] uses a mask to inhale amyl nitrite.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Becoming film literate : the art and craft of motion pictures|last=LoBrutto, Vincent|date=2005|publisher=Praeger|isbn=0-313-08868-3|location=Westport, Connecticut|oclc=191734019}}</ref> In ''[[Little Shop of Horrors (1986 film)|Little Shop of Horrors]]'', [[Steve Martin]]'s character dies from nitrous oxide inhalation. The 1999 independent film ''[[Boys Don't Cry (1999 film)|Boys Don't Cry]]'' depicts two young low-income women inhaling [[aerosol computer cleaner]] (compressed gas) for a buzz. In ''[[The Cider House Rules (film)|The Cider House Rules]]'', [[Michael Caine]]'s character is addicted to inhaling ether vapors. In ''[[Thirteen (2003 film)|Thirteen]]'', the main character, a teen, uses a can of aerosol computer cleaner to get high. In the action movie ''[[Shooter (2007 film)|Shooter]]'', an ex-serviceman on the run from the law ([[Mark Wahlberg]]) inhales nitrous oxide gas from a number of Whip-It! whipped cream canisters until he becomes unconscious. The South African film ''[[The Wooden Camera]]'' also depicts the use of inhalants by one of the main characters, a homeless teen, and their use in terms of socio-economic stratification. The title characters in ''[[Samson and Delilah (2009 film)|Samson and Delilah]]'' sniff petrol; in Samson's case, possibly causing brain damage. In the 2004 film ''[[Taxi (2004 film)|Taxi]]'', [[Queen Latifah]] and [[Jimmy Fallon]] are trapped in a room with a burst tank containing nitrous oxide. Queen Latifah's character curses at Fallon while they both laugh hysterically. Fallon's character asks if it is possible to die from nitrous oxide, to which Queen Latifah's character responds with "It's laughing gas, stupid!" Neither of them had any side effects other than their voices becoming much deeper while in the room. In the French horror film ''[[Them (2006 film)|Them]]'' (2006), a French couple living in Romania are pursued by a gang of street children who break into their home at night. Olivia Bonamy's character is later tortured and forced to inhale [[aurolac]] from a silver-colored bag. During a flashback scene in the 2001 film ''[[Hannibal (2001 film)|Hannibal]]'', Hannibal Lecter gets Mason Verger high on amyl nitrite poppers, then convinces Verger to cut off his own face and feed it to his dogs. ===Books=== The science fiction story "[[Waterspider]]" by [[Philip K. Dick]] (first published in January 1964 in [[If (magazine)|''If'']] magazine) contains a scene in which characters from the future are discussing the culture of the early 1950s. One character says: "You mean he sniffed what they called 'airplane dope'? He was a 'glue-sniffer'?", to which another character replies: "Hardly. That was a mania among adolescents and did not become widespread in fact until a decade later. No, I am speaking about imbibing alcohol."<ref name="Dick">Philip K. Dick: ''Minority Report'', Millennium Books, 2000 ({{ISBN|978-1-85798-947-2}}). See page 221.</ref> The book ''[[Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (book)|Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas]]'' describes how the two main characters inhale [[diethyl ether]] and [[amyl nitrite]]. ===Television=== In the comedy series ''[[Newman and Baddiel in Pieces]]'', Rob Newman's inhaling gas from a foghorn was a running joke in the series. One episode of the ''[[Jeremy Kyle Show]]'' featured a woman with a 20-year butane gas addiction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0sVEJxVQ5Y| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/n0sVEJxVQ5Y| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|title=A Mum Hooked On Butane Gas (PART 1)| date=18 May 2010|via=YouTube|access-date=19 July 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In the series ''[[It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia]]'', [[Charlie Kelly (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)|Charlie Kelly]] has an addiction to huffing glue. Additionally, season nine episode 8 shows Dennis, Mac, and Dee getting a can of gasoline to use as a solvent, but instead end up taking turns huffing from the canister. A 2008 episode of the reality show ''[[Intervention (TV series)|Intervention]]'' (season 5, episode 9) featured Allison, who was addicted to huffing [[computer duster]] for the short-lived, psychoactive effects. Allison has since achieved a small but significant [[cult following]] among bloggers and YouTube users. Several [[remixes]] of scenes from Allison's episode can be found online.{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}} Since 2009, Allison has worked with drug and alcohol treatment centers in Los Angeles County.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} In the seventh episode of the fourteenth season of ''[[South Park]]'', Towelie, an anthropomorphic towel, develops an addiction to inhaling computer duster.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} In the show ''[[Squidbillies]]'', the main character Early Cuyler is often seen inhaling gas or other substances.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} ==See also== * [[Inhaler]] or puffer, a medical device used for delivering medication into the body via the lungs (often used in the treatment of asthma) * ''[[Khaliq v HM Advocate]]'', a Scottish criminal case in which the court ruled that it is an offense to supply materials that were used for sniffing * [[Mt Theo Program]], a successful petrol-sniffing prevention program run by the indigenous Warlpiri community in Central Australia * [[Jenkem]], a purported inhalant and hallucinogen supposedly created from fermented human waste * [[Substance-induced psychosis]] ==Notes== {{notelist}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==Further reading== * {{cite book |last= Burk |first= Isabel |title= Inhalant Prevention Resource Guide |publisher=Virginia Department of Education |date= 2001 |url= http://www.inhalants.org/Inhalantbook.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040715014832/http://www.inhalants.org/Inhalantbook.pdf |archive-date=2004-07-15 |edition= 2nd}} * {{cite book |last= Chier |first= Ruth |title= Danger: Inhalants |publisher= Powerkids Press |pages= [https://archive.org/details/dangerinhalants0000chie/page/24 24] |date= 2003 |orig-year= 1997 |isbn= 9780823923403 |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/dangerinhalants0000chie/page/24 }} * {{cite book |last= Lobo |first= Ingrid A. |title= Inhalants |series= Drugs: the Straight Facts |date= 2004 |pages= 112 |isbn= 9780791076361 }} ==External links== {{Medical resources | DiseasesDB = | ICD11 = {{ICD11|6C4B}}, {{ICD11|NE61}} | ICD10 = {{ICD10|F18}}, {{ICD10|T52}}, {{ICD10|T53}} | ICD9 = {{ICD9|981}}, {{ICD9|982}} | ICDO = | OMIM = | MedlinePlus = | eMedicineSubj = article | eMedicineTopic = 1174630 | MeshID = }} {{Commons category|Inhalants}} * {{Cite web | url = https://www.euda.europa.eu/publications/drug-profiles/volatile_en | publisher = European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) | title = Volatile substances }} {{Psychoactive substance use}} {{Poisoning and toxicity}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Inhalant Abuse}} [[Category:Causes of death]] [[Category:Inhalants| ]] [[Category:Substance-related disorders]] [[Category:Drugs acting on the nervous system]] [[Category:Drugs acting on the respiratory system]] [[Category:Euphoriants]] [[Category:Household chemicals]] [[Category:Sedatives]] [[Category:Hypnotics]] [[Category:Dissociative drugs]] [[Category:Aerosol propellants]] [[Category:Industrial gases]] [[Category:General anesthetics]]
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