Volatile solvents are industrial chemicals made from petroleum and natural gas. Aerosols are sprays that contain intoxicating propellants. Variants of amyl nitrite are also used, including butyl nitrite and cyclohexyl nitrite.
Inhalants usually trigger an alcohol-like stupor, with euphoria, hallucinations, and delusions.
Physical effects include increased or irregular heartbeat, headache, slowed breathing, and coma. Nitrous oxide causes numbness and giddiness, sometimes with a sensation of floating. Headache, ringing in the ears, coughing, vomiting, and pain in the chest, muscles, or joints. Suffocation is also a risk for sniffers who pass out with a plastic bag over the nose and mouth or in an enclosed space with a leaking gas source. Long-term risks vary, but include brain and nervous system damage, and toxic effects to the lungs, liver, and kidneys.