Friends, Colleagues, and Parents:

One of the most dangerous substances abused by children and teens may be

found in the home. These toxic substances are collectively referred to as

inhalants—breathable chemical vapors that produce mind-altering effects. A

variety of common products contain substances that can be

inhaled. Many people do not think that products such as spray

paints, nail polish remover, hair spray, glues, and cleaning fluids

present any risk of abuse, because their intoxicating effects are

so totally unconnected to their intended uses. Yet, young children

and adolescents are among those most likely to abuse them, and do seek them 

out for this purpose. Adults should store household products carefully to prevent

accidental inhalation; they should also remain aware of the temptations that these

dangerous substances pose to children in their homes.

National surveys, such as the National Survey on Drug Use and Health

(NSDUH) and Monitoring the Future (MTF), indicate that inhalant abuse is 

particularly prevalent among our Nation’s young people. Some young people

may abuse inhalants as a substitute for alcohol because they can be obtained 

easily. Data suggest that inhalant abuse reaches its peak at some point during 

the seventh through ninth grades. According to MTF, eighth-graders regularly

report the highest rates of abuse. In fact, MTF data for 2004 showed a significant

increase in lifetime inhalant use among eighth-graders. 

In 2002, the Nation’s emergency departments reported almost 1,500 mentions of

inhalant abuse by patients. Regular abuse of inhalants can cause serious damage 

to major organs, including the brain, liver, heart, kidneys, and lungs. However,

even a single session of repeated inhalations can lead to cardiac arrest and death 

by altering normal heart rhythms or by preventing enough oxygen from entering 

the lungs, causing suffocation. 

This Community Drug Alert Bulletin provides a synopsis of some of the latest 

scientific findings on inhalants and inhalant abuse. We hope that this information

will help alert readers to inhalant abuse and its harmful effects and aid your 

community’s efforts to deal effectively with this problem. 

Thank you for taking the time to become better informed about this public

health problem.

Sincerely,

Nora D. Volkow, M.D.

Director

National Institutes 

of Health

U.S. Department

of Health and 

Human Services

B ULLETIN

COMMUNITY DRUG ALERT

Inhalants
What are Inhalants?

Inhalants are volatile substances that produce chemical

vapors that can be inhaled to induce psychoactive, or 

mind-altering, effects. Although other abused substances

can be inhaled, the term “inhalants” is used to describe a

variety of substances whose main common characteristic 

is that they are rarely, if ever, taken by any route other than

inhalation. Many young people breathe the vapors from

these products hoping for a quick high, unaware of the 

serious health consequences of their actions.

Common household inhalant products:

■ nail polish remover

■ spray paint and glue

■ lighter fluid

■ hair and deodorant sprays

■ cleaning fluid

■ whipped cream canisters

Common medical/industrial inhalant products:

■ gasoline

■ dry cleaning fluid

■ nitrous oxide (laughing gas)

■ paint thinner

■ paint remover

Types of Inhalants

Volatile Solvents

Volatile solvents are liquids that vaporize at room 

temperature. They are found in:

■ paint thinners and removers, dry cleaning fluids,

degreasers, and gasoline

■ glues, correction fluids, felt-tip marker fluids, and 

electronic contact cleaners 

Gases

Gases include household or commercial products such as:

■ butane (from lighters), propane (gas grills), and cooling

system fluids 

■ medical anesthetic gases, such as ether, chloroform,

halothane, and nitrous oxide

Aerosols

Aerosols are sprays that contain propellants and solvents.

Some common aerosols include:

■ spray paint, hair and deodorant sprays, whipped cream

dispensers, fabric protector sprays, and vegetable oil

cooking sprays 

Nitrites

Nitrites are a special class of inhalants. While other

inhalants are used to alter mood, organic nitrites are used

primarily as sexual enhancers. Organic nitrites include

amyl, butyl, and cyclohexyl nitrites and other related 

compounds, and are commonly known as “poppers.”

Amyl nitrite was used in the past to alleviate chest pain 

and is sometimes used today for diagnostic purposes in

heart examinations. Most poppers contain isobutyl nitrite 

or butyl nitrite. These nitrites are often sold in small 

brown bottles and labeled as “video head cleaner,”

“room odorizer,” “leather cleaner,” or “liquid aroma.”

How Are Inhalants Abused?

Inhalants can be breathed in through the nose or the mouth

in a variety of ways, such as:

■ Sniffing or “snorting” fumes from containers 

■ Spraying aerosols directly into the nose or mouth

■ “Bagging,” which involves sniffing or inhaling fumes

from substances sprayed or deposited inside a plastic 

or paper bag

■ “Huffing” from an inhalant-soaked rag stuffed in 

the mouth

■ Inhaling from balloons filled with nitrous oxide 

Because intoxication lasts only a few minutes, abusers 

frequently try to prolong the high by continuing to inhale

repeatedly over the course of several hours, a very 

dangerous practice.

What Are the Health Hazards Associated

With Inhalants? 

Animal and human research show that most inhalants are

extremely toxic:

■ Chronic exposure can lead to widespread and long-lasting

damage to the brain and other parts of the nervous system.

Nerve damage can be similar to that seen in individuals

with neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis. 

■ Chronic exposure can produce significant damage to the

heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys.

■ Prolonged abuse can negatively affect a person’s cognition,

movement, vision, and hearing.

■ Highly concentrated amounts of certain inhalants can

lead to sudden sniffing death—heart failure and death 

can occur within minutes of repeated inhalations. Sudden

sniffing death is particularly associated with the abuse of

butane, propane, and chemicals in aerosols, and can result

from a single session of inhalant abuse by an otherwise

healthy person.

INHALANTS COMMUNITY DRUG ALERT BULLETIN
■ High concentrations of inhalants can cause death by:

● Asphyxiation—vapors displace oxygen in the lungs

● Suffocation—oxygen is blocked from entering the lungs when inhaling fumes from a 

plastic bag placed over the head

● Convulsions or seizures—caused by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain

● Coma—the brain shuts down all but the most vital functions

● Choking—from inhaling vomit prompted by inhalant use

● Fatal injury— from accidents, such as motor vehicle crashes, that occur while intoxicated

What Are the Effects of Inhalant Use? 

Most inhalants act directly on the central nervous system (CNS) to produce psychoactive, or mindaltering, effects. They have short-term effects similar to anesthetics, which slow the body’s functions.

■ Nearly all abused inhalants, other than nitrites, produce a pleasurable effect by depressing the CNS.

■ Nitrites make the heart beat faster and produce a sensation of heat and excitement. 

■ Inhaled chemicals are rapidly absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream and are quickly

distributed to the brain and other organs. 

■ Within minutes of inhaling, the user experiences intoxication along with other effects similar 

to those produced by alcohol. Alcohol-like effects include slurred speech, muscle weakness,

belligerence, apathy, impaired judgment, euphoria, and dizziness. In addition, users may 

experience lightheadedness, hallucinations, and delusions. 

■ Toluene can produce headache, euphoria, giddy feelings, and an inability to coordinate 

movements. Exposure to high doses can cause confusion and delirium. Nausea and vomiting 

are other common side effects.

■ Successive inhalations may make users feel less inhibited and less in control. Continued use of

inhalants in sufficient amounts can produce anesthesia, a loss of sensation, and unconsciousness.

After using inhalants heavily, abusers may feel drowsy for several hours and experience a 

lingering headache.

■ Many individuals who abuse inhalants for prolonged periods over many days report a strong

need to continue using them. Compulsive use and a mild withdrawal syndrome can occur with

long-term inhalant abuse. Long-term inhalant abusers may exhibit other symptoms, including

weight loss, muscle weakness, disorientation, inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability,

and depression. 

COMMUNITY DRUG ALERT BULLETIN INHALANTS

HAZARDS OF CHEMICALS FOUND IN COMMONLY ABUSED INHALANTS

amyl nitrite, butyl nitrite 

(“poppers,” “video head cleaner”)

sudden sniffing death syndrome, suppressed immunologic function,

injury to red blood cells (interfering with oxygen supply to vital tissues)

benzene (found in gasoline)

bone marrow injury, impaired immunologic function, increased risk of

leukemia, reproductive system toxicity

butane, propane

(found in lighter fluid, hair and paint sprays) sudden sniffing death syndrome via cardiac effects, serious burn injuries (because of flammability)

freon (used as a refrigerant and aerosol propellant)

sudden sniffing death syndrome, respiratory obstruction 

and death (from sudden cooling/cold injury to airways), liver damage

methylene chloride

(found in paint thinners and removers, degreasers)

reduction of oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, changes to the heart

muscle and heartbeat

nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”), hexane

death from lack of oxygen to the brain, altered perception and motor

coordination, loss of sensation, limb spasms, blackouts caused by

blood pressure changes, depression of heart muscle functioning

toluene

(found in gasoline, paint thinners and removers, correction fluid)

brain damage (loss of brain tissue mass, impaired cognition, gait 

disturbance, loss of coordination, loss of equilibrium, limb spasms,

hearing and vision loss), liver and kidney damage

trichlorethylene (found in spot removers, degreasers)

sudden sniffing death syndrome, cirrhosis of the liver, reproductive

complications, hearing and vision damage

Even when using

aerosols or volatile

products for their

legitimate purposes,

such as painting 

or cleaning, it is

wise to do so in 

a well-ventilated

room or outdoors.

The chances of 

suffocation are

greatly increased by

inhaling chemicals

from a paper or

plastic bag or in 

an enclosed area.
Who Abuses Inhalants?

■ People who abuse inhalants live in both urban and rural settings. Poverty, a history of physical

or sexual abuse, poor grades, and school dropout all are associated with inhalant abuse.

■ Most inhalant abusers are younger than age 25. One national survey indicates that about 

3 percent of U.S. children have tried inhalants by the time they reach fourth grade.

■ Eighth-graders generally abuse at higher rates than 10th- or 12th-graders. 

■ In 2004, 8th-grade girls reported more inhalant abuse than boys, while 12th-grade boys 

reported more than girls.

INHALANTS COMMUNITY DRUG ALERT BULLETIN

Please visit

www.inhalants.drugabuse.gov

for more information on the

health effects of inhalants.

National Clearinghouse for

Alcohol and Drug Information

(NCADI): 1-800-729-6686

NIH Publication

Number 05-5623

Preprint copy

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH S. U.

AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Institute on Drug Abuse

6001 Executive Blvd.

Room 5213, MSC 9561

Bethesda, MD 20892-9561

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300.00

FIRST-CLASS MAIL

POSTAGE AND FEES

AID P

DHHS/NIH

PERMIT NO. G-827

Early identification and intervention are the best ways to stop inhalant abuse before it causes serious health consequences. Parents, educators, family physicians, and other health care practitioners should be alert to the following signs of a serious inhalant abuse problem:

■ Chemical odors on breath or clothing

■ Paint or other stains on face, hands, or clothes

■ Hidden empty spray paint or solvent containers and

chemical-soaked rags or clothing

■ Drunk or disoriented appearance

■ Slurred speech

■ Nausea or loss of appetite

■ Inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability, and

depression

HOW CAN INHALANT ABUSE BE RECOGNIZED?