Butyl nitrite may be inhaled in its container, or, like organic solvents, applied to absorbent cloth or paper. Nitrous oxide may be inhaled through a mask from a tank of the compressed gas or directly from a punctured whippet. The nozzle of a whipped-cream container can also be depressed in such a way that only the nitrous oxide is discharged. Because the immediate after-effects are usually mild and last only a short time, many abusers believe that inhalants are essentially harmless. They are wrong.
Inhalants can be very dangerous, both in their immediate effects and their long-term consequences.
Short-term effects During the high itself and the period of reaction afterward, physical coordination and mental judgment are impaired, much as they are by excessive drinking. Abusers often suffer falls and other accidents and cannot drive safely. They may engage in irresponsible or dangerous behavior, such as reckless violence. Inhalants irritate the breathing passages, sometimes provoking severe coughing, painful inflammation, and nosebleeds. Nitrite inhalants often cause intense facial flushing, feelings of severe weakness and dizziness, and heart palpitations.