Our Goals
It is the goal of this organization to educate communities regarding the dangers of inhalant abuse. We will also encourage safe distribution and retail practices, along with ways families dealing with inhalant abuse can address the problem.
This website will also try to provide information regarding current research and data in relation to inhalant use in this country.
What is Inhalant Abuse
nhalant abuse refers to the intentional inhalation of vapors from commercial products or specific chemical agents to achieve a “high.” Abusers may inhale products directly through the mouth, from a bag which the agent has been sprayed into, or from a rag containing the chemical being placed over the nose and/or mouth. The intoxication or “high” is immediate, yet short-lived. Many inhalers will continually repeat this process in order to maintain this euphoria (American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2000).
More than 22 million Americans age 12 and older have used inhalants and every year, more than 750,000 individuals use inhalants for the first time. While research has identified the toxic dangers of inhalants, its epidemiology, neurobiology, treatment and prevention are still unclear. Most people are unaware of inhalant abuse and how dangerous it is. Inhalants continue to be a severe problem in this country and in some geographic areas, the originally identified “teen” behavior has transitioned into an adult epidemic (Howard, Bowen, Garland, Perron, and Vaughn, 2011).
Inhalants are divided into a variety of groups depending on the organization creating the list. The list below contains the title of the inhalant group along with the chemicals involved. Over 3400 inhalant products have been identified by the National Poison Data System (NPDS).
Glues and Adhesives
Airplane glue Toluene, ethyl acetate
Other glues and cements Hexane, toluene, methyl chloride, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl butyl ketone, benzene, xylene, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, chloroform
Aerosols
Duster (PC cleaner) 1,1-Difluoroethane, hydrofluorocarbons
Spray paint Butane, propane (U.S.), fluorocarbons, toluene, hydrocarbons, xylene
Hair spray Butane, propane (U.S.), chlorofluorocarbons
Deodorant; air freshener Butane, propane (U.S.), chlorofluorocarbons
Analgesic spray Chlorofluorocarbons
Asthma spray Chlorofluorocarbons
Fabric spray Butane, trichloroethane
Video head cleaner Ethyl chloride
Anesthetics
Gaseous Nitrous Oxide
Liquid Halothane, enflurane, desflurane, isoflurane
Local Ethyl chloride
Cleaning Agents
Dry cleaning Tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethane
Spot remover Xylene, petroleum, distillates, chlorohydrocarbons
Degreaser Tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethane, trichloroethylene
Lacquer, thinners Acetone, methanol, ethyl acetate, methyl chloride, toluene
Solvents and Gasses
Nail polish remover Acetone, ethyl acetate, toluene (rarely)
Paint remover Petroleum distillates, esters, acetone
Correction fluid/thinner Trichloroethylene, isoparaffins
Fuel gas Butane, isopropane
Lighter fluid Butane, isopropane
Asphyxiants
Helium
Butane
Propane
Butane
Propane
Other Modified – Sharp and Rosenberg (2005)
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