Inhalants refer to substances that are sniffed or huffed to give the user an immediate head rush or high. They include a diverse group of chemicals that are found in consumer products such as aerosols and cleanign solvents. According to a receant survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, inhalant use among all grades has risen steadily since 1991. Nearly 20 percent of all adolescents report using inhalants at least once in their lives. Current use is highest among eighth graders. Inhalant use can cause a number of physical and emotional problems, and even one-time use can result in death.

People using inhalants freqently do risky or humiliating things they later regret.

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF USING INHALANTS?

Using inhalants even one time can put you at risk for:

• Sudden death.

• Suffocation.

• Visual hallucinations and severe mood swings.

• Numbness and tingling of the hands and feet.

Using inhalants, even one time, can kill you.

Prolonged use can result in:

• Headache, muscle weakness, abdominal pain.

• Decrease or loss of sense of smell.

• Nausea and nosebleeds.

• Hepatitis.

• Violent behavior.

• Irregular heartbeat.

• Liver, lung, and kidney impairment.

• Brain damage.

• Nervous system damage.

• Dangerous chemical imbalances in the body.

• Involuntary passing of urine and feces.

If you or someone you know has been using inhalants, there is help available. Talk to a school counselor, a friend, or a parent.

Using inhalants, even one time, can kill you.

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