The Worlds Biggest Unsolved Problem: Drugs
Inhalants are ordinary household products that kids, teenagers, even grownups sniff in order to get high.
Inhalants can look like any household product like: model airplane glue, nail polish remover, cleaning fluids, hair spray, gasoline, the propellant in aerosol whipped cream, spray paint, fabric protector, air conditioner fluid, cooking spray, correction fluid etc.
These products are sniffed, snorted, bagged or huffed, in order to get high.
Inhalants can also be sniffed directly from a container.
Their short-term effect is when you sniff something, within seconds the user may experience intoxication along with alcohol effects.
- The long term effect is when you sniff something, you experience compulsive use and a mild withdrawal syndrome. If u have been inhaling for a long time and you are an inhalant abuser the effects may be weight loss, muscle weakness, disorientation, inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability, and depression.
- After heavy use of inhalants you may feel drowsy, and have a headache.
- The inhalants street names are whippets, poppers, and snappers.
- Inhalants are almost always the first drug that young kids use. In a survey made in 2005 17.5% of the 8th graders, 13.1% of 10th graders, and 11.4% of the 12th graders said that they had used inhalants at least 1 time.
- Signs of inhalant abuse
- *Their breath or clothing may smell
- *Paint or other stains on clothes, face, and hands
- *Empty spray cans hidden and chemical soaked clothing
- *A drunk appearance
- *Slurred speech
- *Never hungry, nauseas
- *Depression
- *Household items are missing
- Parents can prevent that their kids use inhalants by talking to them about the danger of inhalants. Parents have to be careful about how they store their household products because teens don’t really know how dangerous inhalants are.
- Some reasons why kids use inhalants are because the products are widely available, they’re not expensive, they’re easy to get, and most important they’re legal! Many teens start because they don’t know how dangerous inhalants can be and once they use them is hard for them to break the habit.
Resources-http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/Inhalants.html
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/inhalants/index.html
http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/drug_info_inhalants.asp
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/inhalants.html