Inhalant Abuse Can Be Stopped with Help from an Inhalant Detox Program

Inhalants are breathable chemical fumes which produce a broad range of volatile vapors that a person breathes into the trachea and nose. The term inhalant abuse, is reserved for those substances which are consumed via volatilization and these are primarily focused on recreational drug use. Abusing inhalants produces mind altering effects and is a favored recreational activity preferred by younger individuals. There are a wide variety of chemicals and household products which can produce a high when inhaled and approximately 3% of children in America have tried an inhalant by the age of four.

Generally someone that wants to abuse inhalants will use any type of available resource; however the effects produced by any particular substance will vary. Inhalant abuse can become chronic and a person can actually become consumed with finding out which products produce the best high. Abusing inhalants is not something which is easy to understand, but when wrapped up in the addiction, the best way to deal with the problem is for the person to seek help from an inhalant detox program.

Inhalant products can be classified into a group according to intended function and most are non-medical ingredients found in household or chemical products. A small amount of recreational inhalants people abuse are classified as pharmaceutical products and are used illegally and illicitly. Aliphatic hydrocarbons are products which contain petroleum and include gasoline, kerosene, propane and butane. Aromatic hydrocarbons include xylene and toluene, ketone products contain acetone, and haloalkanes include many aerosols and propellants. Another category of inhalants are nitrites which include alkyl nitrites such as amyl nitrate and nitrous oxide.

Abuse of inhalants often begins early in life and some people can use the substances as a substitute for other drugs. Scientific research suggests that long term and habitual use of inhalants which leads to addiction can be one of the most difficult of all to treat and conquer. Many inhalant addicts suffer from social and psychological problems and healing from the disease requires the help of an inhalant detox coupled with long term care at a drug rehabilitation center. It is necessary for an individual to go through a detoxification program in order to receive the assistance so vital to aiding a person in making a complete and total recovery.

Inhalant addiction is most common among people that do not have access to other drugs or alcohol and can include children, teens, and people in jail and institutionalized. Fumes from substances can be captured in a plastic bag and the held over the mouth and nose or the person can get high from sucking in the fumes of a vapor soaked rag. The effects of using inhalants can range from an alcohol type of intoxication to intense euphoria and hallucinations depending on what the person used. When a person is suffering from an inhalant addiction, the best chance at getting clean is by getting help from an inhalant detox program in Florida.

One of the most dangerous side effects of having an inhalant addiction is the propensity for brain damage and death. Some people are actually injured due to the harmful effects of industrialized cleaners or gases which can be toxic. As with any type addiction, there are always risks involved and in some instances people with an inhalant addiction have died due to hypoxia, cardiac arrest, pneumonia, or aspiration of vomit. Inhalant addiction is a very serious problem all over the nation and in order to make a real difference, treatment programs and detox centers are constantly making advances in the treatment and approaches used to handle the issue.

When people abuse inhalants, it can be done in a wide array of ways which includes directly inhaling out of a canister, filtering the fumes through a wash rag or using an open container and breathing in the fumes. When a substance is inhaled, it results in an extensive capillary surface of the lungs rapidly absorbing the solvent or gas, and blood levels will rapidly peak. Intoxication occurs so quickly it can feel the same as when using an intravenous injection of a psychoactive drug. Inhalant addiction is very dangerous and with increased use, the chances of a person experiencing an adverse reaction grow exponentially.

What a person experiences when using an inhalant will depend upon what type of substance was used. A person that inhales a small amount of paint thinner or a rubber bonding agent can experience impairment which resembles alcohol intoxication, while an individual that inhales a large amount of solvents or gases can experience something entirely different. Some of the effects of stronger substances can include a distortion of time and space, hallucinations, and emotional disturbances. Inhalant abuse is a serious situation and when someone is dealing with the problem, instead of handling it all alone, getting help from an inhalant detox program can make a very real difference to the outcome a person will have.

Substances which fall under the category of inhalants are within a large class of drugs and have a wide array of mechanisms of action. Some inhalant addicts are harmed due to the toxins contained in the substance and as with many recreational drugs of abuse, the situation requires immediate treatment if a person is going to get better. The statistical information surrounding deaths from inhalant abuse is unclear because the problem can be difficult to determine and cases are severely underreported.

Inhalant abuse can cause serious side effects which can include hearing loss, central nervous system and brain damage and limb spasms. Some solvents are extremely flammable and if used around an open flame, a user can be severely burned or killed from an explosion. Females that use inhalants while pregnant can incur adverse effects on the growing fetus and the infant may be born at a low birth weight and need medical assistance. When addicted to inhalants and unable to stop using, the only choice which will help the problem is for the individual to get treated at an inhalant detox program.

Death from inhalation abuse generally occurs due to excessive sedation and vomiting, but an overdose can also occur and result in fatality as well. Inhalant solvent abuse is more likely to cause death resulting from life threatening respiratory depression than someone using an intravenous opiate drug like heroin. In cases where use of solvents has resulted in death, most situations could have been prevented if the individual was provided with resuscitation and cleaning of the airway was performed. Even in the face of such startling information and statistics, an inhalant addiction is likely to continue because a person will not have the capacity to stop of voluntarily.

When someone inhales butane gas, it can cause the individual to experience asphyxia, cardiac arrhythmia, drowsiness, narcosis and frostbite. Butane inhalation can produce prolonged laryngospasm and sometimes the gas can cause death by sudden cardiac arrest, which is described as sudden sniffing death. Gases from an aerosol container can freeze the lips and throat when directly inhaled from the can, and a person could be permanently scarred or killed. Instead of continuously seeking to get high from inhalants, the best thing a person can do is to get help from an inhalant detoxification program.

Inhalant abuse is common among institutionalized and incarcerated people, children, young people and impoverished individuals, because the substances are cheap and easy to find and are not illegal. The most common population suffering from inhalant abuse are individuals between the ages of 12 and 17, and the most common warning signs are isolation and secretiveness. The highest rates of inhalant abuse happen among the Hispanic population, though rates among other ethnic groups are currently on the rise. Because inhalant abuse is so common and prevalent among the youth of America, the need for proper detoxification and treatment is of the utmost importance in order to help people become clean.

Inhalant abuse first became popular in the 1970s among the youth that enjoyed punk rock music; glue sniffing was a favored activity. Glue sniffing became popular and widespread because it was a cheap high and because of many different societal fears which fueled the activity. Throughout the 1980s inhalant abuse was promoted through music by groups like the Ramones, the Dead Milkmen and the Beastie Boys. Inhalants were also popularized in the 1990s when grunge music told hold of the youth and was glamorized once again by Nirvana, L7, and Beck and Primus songs.

Inhalant abuse is a very dangerous activity which affects mainly the youth of the United States, but can infiltrate other age groups as well. Overcoming an inhalant addiction is more about breaking the behavior associated with using and when wanting to get clean, the best chance a person has is through getting help from an inhalant detoxification program. With time and a strong commitment to living a clean lifestyle, it is possible to put an inhalant addiction in the past and recover. Contact a professional detox program now and find out about all the methods and services available to help you overcome an inhalant addiction and experience the joys of having a healthy life again.