May 2006 Page 1 of 4

Inhalants are breathable chemical

vapors that produce psychoactive (mindaltering) effects. A variety of products

common in the home and in the workplace contain substances that can be

inhaled. Many people do not think of

these products, such as spray paints,

glues, and cleaning fluids, as drugs

because they were never meant to be

used to achieve an intoxicating effect.

Yet, young children and adolescents can

easily obtain them and are among those

most likely to abuse these extremely

toxic substances. 

Inhalants fall into the following 

categories: 

Volatile Solvents 

• Industrial or household solvents or

solvent-containing products, including

paint thinners or removers,

degreasers, dry-cleaning fluids, gasoline, and glue 

• Art or office supply solvents, including correction fluids, felt-tip-marker

fluid, and electronic contact cleaners 

Aerosols

• Household aerosol propellants and

associated solvents in items such as

spray paints, hair or deodorant

sprays, fabric protector sprays,

aerosol computer cleaning products,

and vegetable oil sprays

Gases 

• Gases used in household or commercial products, including butane

lighters and propane tanks, whipping cream aerosols or dispensers

(whippets), and refrigerant gases 

• Medical anesthetic gases, such as

ether, chloroform, halothane, and

nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) 

Nitrites 

• Organic nitrites are volatiles that

include cyclohexyl, butyl, and amyl

nitrites, commonly known as “poppers.” Amyl nitrite is still used in certain diagnostic medical procedures.

Volatile nitrites are often sold in small

brown bottles labeled as “video

head cleaner,” “room odorizer,”

“leather cleaner,” or “liquid aroma.”

Health Hazards ———

Although they differ in makeup, nearly

all abused inhalants produce short-term

effects similar to anesthetics, which act

to slow down the body’s functions.

When inhaled in sufficient concentrations, inhalants can cause intoxication,

usually lasting only a few minutes. 

Inhalants
May 2006 Page 2 of 4

However, sometimes users extend this

effect for several hours by breathing in

inhalants repeatedly. Initially, users may

feel slightly stimulated. Repeated inhalations make them feel less inhibited and

less in control. If use continues, users

can lose consciousness. 

Sniffing highly concentrated amounts of

the chemicals in solvents or aerosol

sprays can directly induce heart failure

and death within minutes of a session of

repeated inhalations. This syndrome,

known as “sudden sniffing death,” can

result from a single session of inhalant

use by an otherwise healthy young person. Sudden sniffing death is particularly

associated with the abuse of butane,

propane, and chemicals in aerosols. 

High concentrations of inhalants also

can cause death from suffocation by 

displacing oxygen in the lungs and then

in the central nervous system so that

breathing ceases. Deliberately inhaling

from a paper or plastic bag or in a

closed area greatly increases the

chances of suffocation. Even when using

aerosols or volatile products for their

legitimate purposes (i.e., painting, 

cleaning), it is wise to do so in a wellventilated room or outdoors. 

Chronic abuse of solvents can cause

severe, long-term damage to the brain,

the liver, and the kidneys.

Harmful irreversible effects that may be

caused by abuse of specific solvents

include:

• Hearing loss—toluene (spray paints,

glues, dewaxers) and trichloroethylene

(dry-cleaning chemicals, correction

fluids) 

• Peripheral neuropathies, or limb

spasms—hexane (glues, gasoline)

and nitrous oxide (whipped cream

dispensers, gas cylinders) 

• Central nervous system or brain 

damage—toluene (spray paints,

glues, dewaxers) 

• Bone marrow damage—benzene

(gasoline) 

Serious but potentially reversible effects

include:

• Liver and kidney damage—toluenecontaining substances and chlorinated hydrocarbons (correction fluids,

dry-cleaning fluids) 

• Blood oxygen depletion—aliphatic

nitrites (known on the street as poppers, bold, and rush) and methylene

chloride (varnish removers, paint

thinners) 

Extent of Use ———

Initial use of inhalants often starts early.

Some young people may use inhalants

as an easily accessible substitute for

alcohol. Research suggests that chronic

or long-term inhalant abusers are among

the most difficult drug abuse patients to

treat. Many suffer from cognitive impairment and other neurological dysfunction

and may experience multiple psychological and social problems.
May 2006 Page 3 of 4

Monitoring the Future (MTF)*

Survey 

According to the 2005 Monitoring the

Future survey, lifetime use of inhalants

measured 17.1 percent among 8thgraders, 13.1 percent among 10th

grade students, and 11.4 percent

among 12th-graders in 2005.

Drug Abuse Warning Network

(DAWN)**

The 2003 Drug Abuse Warning

Network Interim Report estimates

627,923 drug-related emergency

department visits for the 3rd and 4th

quarters of 2003. Inhalants were attributed to 1,681 of these reported visits.

2004 National Survey on Drug

Use and Health (NSDUH)***

Among youths age 12 to 17, 10.6 percent were current illicit drug users in

2004, and 1.2 percent of those reported

current inhalant use. Among 12- or 13-

year-olds, 1.2 percent reported current

inhalant use; 1.6 percent of 14- or 15-

year-olds reported current use.

Lifetime use of inhalants was down in

2004 among Americans in the 18–20

age group. While declines were reported also for lifetime use among Asians

age 18–25, their past-month use of

inhalants rose significantly. Past-year use

rose significantly among 21 year-olds in

2004.

In 2004, the number of new inhalant

users was about 857,000. 

Other Information

Sources ———

For additional information on inhalants,

please refer to the following sources on

NIDA’s Web site, www.drugabuse.gov:

• Inhalant Abuse—Research Report

Series 

• Various issues of NIDA NOTES

(search by “inhalants” or “solvents”) 

• Community Drug Alert Bulletin—

Inhalants
May 2006 Page 4 of 4

National Institutes of Health – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

This material may be used or reproduced without permission from NIDA. Citation of the source is appreciated.

* These data are from the 2005 Monitoring the Future Survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse,

National Institutes of Health, DHHS, and conducted annually by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social

Research. The survey has tracked 12th-graders’ illicit drug use and related attitudes since 1975; in 1991, 8th- and

10th-graders were added to the study. The latest data are online at www.drugabuse.gov. 

** These data are from the annual Drug Abuse Warning Network, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental

Health Services Administration, DHHS. The survey provides information about emergency department visits that are

induced by or related to the use of an illicit drug or the nonmedical use of a legal drug. The latest data are available

at 800-729-6686 or online at www.samhsa.gov. 

*** NSDUH (formerly known as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse) is an annual survey of Americans

age 12 and older conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Copies of the latest

survey are available at www.samhsa.gov and from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at

800-729-6686.