Skip to content

Huffing Inhalants To Get High

Content approved by

People are abusing household and workplace products every day by intentionally inhaling them. Thousands of Americans, especially young people, inhale the fumes from all kinds of products for their mind-altering effect. It is known as huffing.

In the U.S., inhalant abuse accounts for as many as 100 to 200 deaths each year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse

The vast majority of people do it to produce an effect similar to drunkenness. Users may experience slurred speech, dizziness, hampered coordination, and may become unconscious.

  • Unfortunately, these pleasant feelings come with some dangerous consequences.
  •  A subset of inhalants, called nitrites, are primarily used by adults for enhancing sexual pleasure.

Inhalants are volatile substances that produce vapors. These vapors are dangerous since when inhaled they are absorbed into the lungs. They can produce mind-altering highs by affecting the brain and nervous system.

  • They are unpredictable in that they can affect almost every organ and the dosage cannot be controlled.

National surveys indicate nearly 21.7 million Americans aged 12 and older have used inhalants at least once.

They are lipid soluble which means they are absorbed quickly by the lungs and can cross easily into the brain. They bypass the liver and so they work quickly without any obstacles. How they work is not fully understood which makes their effects potentially dangerous.

  • Even though most inhalants are not illegal to own, purchase, transport, or sell, huffing inhalants is more dangerous than taking almost any other drugs.

When using any inhalant, the pleasant benefit usually only lasts a few seconds, or for a few minutes. As a result, most users repeatedly huff for tens of minutes or even hours at a time. It amplifies the damaging side effects caused by the drug. Unlike every other drug studied, inhalant is used more by young teens than by any other age category.

 They tend to have some of the most life-threatening and long-term side effects.

  • According to studies, 20% of 8th graders reported having huffed inhalants at least once in their life. Roughly 4% reported doing so in the last year.

Comparatively, only about half of the 12th graders reported huffing inhalants in the last year. The early use (often before the onset of puberty) exacerbates the biological and chemical damage inhalants cause.

  • The side effects of huffing may include loss of coordination and limb spasms due to myelin damage.

The myelin is a protective sheathing around nerve fibers that helps nerves transmit messages in the brain and peripheral nervous system. Inhalants can cause brain damage by cutting off oxygen flow to the brain.

The most commonly abused inhalants are:

  • aromatic hydrocarbons
  •  aliphatic hydrocarbons
  •  alkyl halides
  •  nitrites
  • Aromatic hydrocarbons, such as toluene and xylene, are the most commonly used inhalants of abuse likely because they cause an intense euphoric rush when inhaled. They are found in markers, adhesive types of cement, model glues, paint thinners, and spray paints, with the highest concentration found in gold and silver spray paint.
  •  Aliphatic hydrocarbons are volatile fuels such as propane, butane (cigarette lighter fluid), and gasoline.
  •  Alkyl halides are found in cleaning fluids, typewriter correction fluid, and compressed air for cleaning electronics.
  •  Nitrites, such as amyl nitrites, are found in room air fresheners, video head cleaners, and leather cleaners. These agents, commonly known as “poppers” or “snappers” are used to enhance sexual activity.

Their use can be lethal. Sniffing highly concentrated amounts of the chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can directly cause heart failure within minutes. This syndrome, known as “sudden sniffing death,” can result from a single session of inhalant use by an otherwise healthy young person.

  • High concentrations of inhalants may also cause death from suffocation, especially when inhaled from a paper or plastic bag or in a closed area.

Even when using aerosols or volatile products for their legitimate purposes like painting or cleaning, it is wise to do so in a well-ventilated room or outdoors.

These chemicals can produce severe, long-term consequences. These include liver and kidney damage, hearing loss, bone marrow damage, loss of coordination, and brain damage.

It may cause suffocation, especially when inhaled from a paper or plastic bag or in a closed area.

Nitrites are a particular class of inhalants that enhance sexual pleasure and performance. They can be associated with unsafe sexual practices that increase the risk of contracting and spreading infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

Once the vapors enter the body, they enter the brain and nervous system. Inhalants, except for nitrites, slow down the body’s functions, similar to drinking alcohol. The side effects are severe, and sometimes can be fatal.

  • Some of the products used include: Spray paints
  •  Glue
  •  Cleaning fluid
  •  Gasoline
  •  Aerosols
  •  Nail polish remover
  •  Markers
  •  Paint thinner
  •  Lighter fluid
  •  Shoe polish

Aerosol sprays, such as computer cleaning dusters, are placed directly into the nose or mouth. Other things like petroleum products are soaked on a cloth and placed in the mouth.

  • Users experience similar effects to those of alcohol intoxication within just a few seconds.

The bottom line is it gets someone high very quickly. But the effects only last a short time, usually only a few minutes. It causes a person to do the process over and over again. Although the high produced by inhalants usually lasts just a few minutes, abusers often try to prolong it by repeatedly inhaling over several hours. It is a popular form of drug abuse because it is cheap and so readily available.

  • These are all relatively common household items that are legal to purchase and have a functional, everyday purpose.
  •  The vast majority of inhalants are legal substances that exist for a purpose entirely unrelated to mental stimulation.

However, these items also all have something else in common. They all contain substances with psychoactive properties. People use inhalants through the nose or mouth in various ways, including sniffing or snorting the fumes. Similar to illegal drugs with psychoactive properties, using inhalants can alter brain chemistry in such a way as to produce pleasant sensations.

 Abusers may also inhale fumes from a plastic or paper bag.

Parents should be aware of the dangers of standard household products that contain volatile solvents or aerosols. Household products such as deodorant and hair sprays, whipped cream canisters, and cleaning fluids are easily accessible. They can go by the street names Gluey, Huff, Rush, and Whippets.

 Different inhalant products tend toward various age groups.

 Users in the 12 to 15 age bracket tend to abuse glue, shoe polish, spray paints, gasoline, and lighter fluid.

 Other users in the 16 to 17-year-old age group tend to abuse nitrous oxide, known as “whippets.”

 Adults most commonly abuse a class of inhalants known as nitrites (such as amyl nitrites or “poppers”).

Inhalants are of four main types: volatile solvents, gases, aerosols, and nitrites. Volatile solvents, gases, and aerosols can alter moods. Nitrites are common for sexual stimulation.

Volatile solvents

Volatile solvents are liquids that become gas at room temperature. Some examples are paint thinner and remover, gasoline, glue, felt-tip markers, and office pen “white-out.”

Gases

Gas inhalants can include the gases used in medical anesthesia, nitrous oxide, and laughing gas. They also have butane lighters, propane tanks, whipped cream dispensers, and refrigerants.

Aerosol sprays

Aerosol sprays are generally household items, including spray paint, deodorant, hairsprays, vegetable oil cooking sprays, static cling sprays, and whip cream dispensers (known as “whippets”).

Their street names are “poppers” or “snappers,” found in-room deodorizers and capsules that release vapors. Some of the short-term side effects may include:

  • Increased heart rate
  •  Hallucinations
  •  Loss of feeling or consciousness
  •  Nausea and vomiting
  •  Impaired coordination
  •  Slurred speech
  •  Muscle weakness
  •  Dizziness
  •  Headaches
  •  Nosebleeds
  •  Loss of smell or hearing

Even more serious consequences can be:

  • High likelihood of permanent liver and or kidney damage
  •  Permanent loss of bone marrow, which is likely to result in broken bones later in life
  •  Increased chance of hearing loss, possibly even early in life
  •  Permanent brain damage resulting from oxygen brain deprivation
  •  Death from heart failure during use
  •  Death from suffocation, mainly when using a paper bag for huffing or huffing, is done in a room without proper ventilation

The various stages and effects can be broken down into three categories; acute intoxication, chronic abuse, and withdrawal syndrome.

Acute intoxication

Acute intoxication can represent a medical emergency. The goals of treatment are to neutralize the effects of the toxic chemical, reduce morbidity, and prevent complications. Appropriate drug intervention programs and psychological counseling are necessary.

Chronic abuse

In chronic inhalant abuse, irreversible CNS complications can occur, including cerebral cortex atrophy, cerebellar degeneration, and peripheral neuropathy, leading to cognitive function decline, dementia, gait disturbances, and loss of coordination.

Neurologic signs and symptoms include:

  • Peripheral neuropathies (stocking-glove distribution)
  •  Paresthesias
  •  Ataxia
  •  Weakness
  •  Confusion
  •  Memory loss
  •  Delusions

Withdrawal symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms are worse during 2-5 days after the inhalant cessation. These symptoms include:

  • Tremors
  •  Irritability
  •  Anxiety
  •  Insomnia
  •  Delirium
  •  Tingling sensations
  •  Seizures
  •  Muscle cramps

If tolerance has developed, the following symptoms may be present;

  • Chills
  •  Headache
  •  Muscle cramps
  •  Vague abdominal pain

Users may also present with:

  • Sleep disturbance
  •  Tremor
  •  Nausea
  •  Irritability
  •  Abdominal pain

People going through withdrawal may show symptoms similar to delirium tremens. If this occurs, call 911 immediately.

  • Some symptoms could resolve within 2 hours.

References

National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (NIPC). Chattanooga, TN. Available at https://www.inhalants.org.

Balster RL, Cruz SL, Howard MO, Dell CA, Cottler LB. Classification of abused inhalants. Addiction. 2009 Jun. 104(6):878-82

Dinwiddie SH. Abuse of inhalants: a review. Addiction. 1994 Aug. 89(8):925-39

McGarvey EL, Clavet GJ, Mason W, Waite D. Adolescent inhalant abuse: environments of use. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 1999 Nov. 25(4):731-41.

Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. Behavioral Health Trends in the United States: Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. September 2015. Available at https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FRR1-2014/NSDUH-FRR1-2014.pdf.

Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2011: National Estimates of Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits. May 2013. Available at https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/DAWN2k11ED/DAWN2k11ED/DAWN2k11ED.pdf.

What is Huffing Inhalants?