A Scent of Danger in Your Home
More and more kids are getting high by sniffing ordinary household products like hair spray, air freshener, dust cleaner and deodorant without knowing of the deadly consequences. These kids are under the illusion that these can’t hurt them.
Millions of teenagers have used inhalants at one time or another and that each year, thousands more between the ages of 12 to 17 try them for the first time. This might be because these inhalants are very much available to them than drugs like marijuana and cocaine.
No one knows how many kids die from inhalants annually. This is because the chemicals in inhalants do not show up on standard drug tests and hospitals are not on the lookout for them. Added to this is that the deaths are attributed to something that inhalant abuse caused like a car crash or drowning.
The potential for inhalant abuse is just everywhere in our home; in the basement, garage, medicine cabinets and kitchen cabinets. These places can contain products that can be used to get high and some of these are cleaning and degreasing agents, nail polish remover, paints and thinners, lighter fluid, gasoline, cooking sprays and air fresheners. Kids normally snort fumes from the containers or spray it directly into their nose or mouth. Some soak rags with the inhalant and press it in their mouth (huffing) or inhaling the fumes that is sprayed into plastic of paper bags (bagging).
The prime intoxicants are the solvents that keep the ingredients dissolved like toluene, acetone and trichloroenthane. These are quickly absorbed through the lungs and into the bloodstream. These will dissolve the fats that surrounds breain and nerve cells and disrupt electrical signals between neurons, causing euphoria but also acting as an alcohol-like depressant. The high wears off in 30 to 60 seconds but repeated abuse can permanently impair coordination and memory. When the liver breaks down the solvents, the chemical by-products can make it harder to filter toxins. Death occurs when scrambled nerve transmissions interrupt cardiac signals and stop the heart. These inhalants displace oxygen in the lungs and as a result kids who take repeated hits will asphyxiate. Some will get sick to their stomachs and are so intoxicated that they will choke on their own vomit. Abusers who inhale from a bag can pass out with their face still in the bag and will die from overdose.
For many of these kids, inhalants are just a passing fad or phase but little that they know that sniffing inhalants is a stepping stone to using other drugs.
Parents should know the warning signs of inhalant abuse because it is easy to hide.
- Products in odd places like nail polish remover in your son’s room or butane lighters when no one is a smoker in your house.
- Odd-smelling breath. This is from huffing through the mouth.
- Rags, clothing or empty containers hidden in place like closets and under the beds.
- A dazed look, glassy eyes, slurred speech or clumsiness. These are signs of recent intoxication.
- Empty product containers that you could have sworn were full the last time you saw them.
- Unexplained paint smudges on the face, lips, nose or fingers.
- Restlessness, anxiety, flying off the handle at odd times. These are indications of repeated use.
How to keep your kids from the dangers of inhalant abuse:
- Educate
Teach your kids early on to think and treat toxic household products as poisons. Emphasize the body’s need for oxygen and explain how many items produce gases or fumes that can make you sick. If your children help with cleaning or other chores that involves using potentially dangerous products, read to them the label warnings and directions. Supervise them carefully. - Discuss the dangers, but no details
Before your kids enter middle school, talk to them about hoe people abuse household products. Explain that these products can be just as dangerous as alcohol and drugs and that anyone who says they are harmless is very wrong. Focus on the risks and avoid mentioning specific items so you do not give your child any ideas. - Talk but do not scold
Ask your kid what he knows about inhalants without judgmental questions. You want to invite a conversation which will make your kid more likely to listen to you. About lecturing as this will make them tune out on you. If you suspect your child is using inhalants, ask about it directly and seek counseling immediately.