Inhalants

WHAT ARE INHALANTS?

Inhalants are substances or fumes from products such as paint thinner or glue that when sniffed or “huffed” cause an immediate high. They affect your brain quicker and stronger than other substances, because of this, irreversible physical and mental damage occurs. Inhalants include a large group of household chemical products.

Commonly referred to as glue, kick, bang, sniff, huff, poppers, whippets

INHALANTS IN HAWAI'I

• In 2013, 9.3% of Hawai'i high school students have used inhalants at least once in their lifetime.

HEALTH RISKS

• Nausea

• Nosebleeds

• Irreversible mental impairment

• Loss of sense of smell and/or hearing

• Develop liver, lung and kidney problems

• Cause sudden death – users can die of suffocation, chocking on their vomit, or have a heart attack.

• Chronic inhalant users may permanently lose the ability to walk, talk and think

Sources: American Council for Drug Education, Drug Enforcement Administration brochure; A Parents’ Guide to Preventing Inhalant Abuse;  Inhalants, “The Silent Epidemic,” Winter 1998; Hawaii Adolescent Treatment Needs Assessment Results from The 2003 Hawaii Student Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use Study; Summary of Findings from the 2002 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse; ONDCP’s Street Terms: Drugs and the Drug Trade, “http://whitehousedrugpolicy.gov.”, National Inhalants Prevention Website, 2000 Monitoring the Future Survey, YRBSS 2011, National Institute on Drug Abuse 2012.