Many people suffering from eating disorders also have drug addiction problems. This study suggests that medications that target brain systems involved in energy balance and food consumption may be useful in treating these individuals. The researchers, Drs. To combat this abuse, NIDA is recognizing National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week during the third week in March by publicizing the availability of science-based informational materials on inhalant abuse. Inhalants are substances whose vapors can be inhaled to produce a mind-altering effect.
Inhalants often are among the first drugs that young children use.
About 6 percent of children in the United States have tried inhalants by the time they reach fourth grade. Early recognition of inhalant abuse is important for parents and physicians. Signs include chemical odors on the breath or clothes, paint or other stains on skin or clothes, slurred speech, drunk or disoriented appearance, nausea or lack of appetite, and inattentiveness and lack of coordination. A single, prolonged session of inhalant use can produce rapid and irregular heart rhythms, heart failure, and death. But inhalant abuse can cause death in other ways, too, through asphyxiation, suffocation, or choking.