Inhalants will slow down your coordination, judgement and
response times. Many everyday products have been used as inhalants,
including glue, aerosol sprays, cleaning fluids, liquid paper,
paints and petrol.
How are inhalants taken?
Inhalants are breathed in through the nose or mouth. They can be
inhaled by sniffing or 'snorting' fumes from containers, spraying
aerosols directly into the mouth or nose, spraying or placing the
product in a paper or plastic bag and then inhaling, by huffing
from an inhalant-soaked rag, or inhaling from balloons filled with
nitrous oxide.
What are the effects of inhalants?
The effect of inhalants varies from one person to the next. It
depends on how much you inhaled, your weight and health, what you
have used before (and how much), your mood when you use inhalants,
and whether you have taken other drugs. Most inhalants slow down
the body's functions. If large quantities are inhaled they can
quickly cause intoxication, which usually lasts only a few
minutes.
Some of the effects include feeling dizzy and light-headed, feeling
confident, excitement and laughter.
Effects that aren't so good can include:
- Slurred speech
- Feeling thirsty
- Being unable to coordinate your movements, with slow
reflexes
- Dribbling, sneezing or coughing
- Feeling tired after the initial high
- Blurred vision
- Nausea (feeling sick and wanting to vomit)
- Nose bleeds
- Headaches and feeling 'hung over'
- Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not
there)
- Risky behaviour, including aggression and violence, accidents
and injury, and unwanted sex
Repeated use of inhalants can feel good at first, but can make
you feel less in control.
Inhalants can make you lose consciousness, and there is a risk
of death from heart failure or suffocation. Death is a very real
risk of inhalants, and can happen whether you're a first-timer or a
regular user.
What are the long-term effects of inhalants?
Inhalants contain dangerous chemicals, often more so than
cannabis or ecstasy. Repeated use can cause severe damage to the
brain, liver and kidneys, memory loss, confused thinking, tremors,
lead poisoning, sores around the mouth and nose, weight loss,
depression and irritability.
Use of inhalants can also lead to conflict with friends and
family.
What about withdrawal?
It is possible to become dependent on inhalants. This means it
can be very hard to stop, and stopping suddenly can cause symptoms
like anxiety, depression, loss of appetite, irritation, aggression,
dizziness, tremors and nausea.
Managing your drug use
If you, your family or your friends think your drug use is
becoming a problem, then get some help and talk to people about it.
Changing your drug use can be hard work, but it will be worth
it.
Some people can reduce or stop drug use on their own, but think
about talking to a trusted family member, friend, doctor or
counsellor. Check out the getting help section to find services near
you.