Inhalants are the third most abused substances among 12 to 14 year olds in the United States, coming in right behind alcohol and tobacco. As many as one in five students in the United States has tried inhalants by the time they reach the seventh grade, some while they are on school property. Inhalants pass through the lungs and quickly enter the bloodstream, then they reach the brain in seconds. Inhalant vapors react with fatty tissue in the brain, literally dissolving them. So, chronic inhalant abusers may permanently lose the ability to walk, talk and think.
Inhalants also slow down the body's reactions and distort the thinking process.
The effects last only a few moments and when they wear off, the user may be irritable and depressed. Users of inhalants say they make them feel less inhibited. The effects are similar to alcohol and other sedatives. High dosages can produce laughing, feelings of floating, illusions, time and space distortions. These effects can last from five minutes to an hour, depending on the substance used and the amount.