Inhalants as a class are among the least studied recreational drugs in use today. Each substance reacts somewhat differently when introduced to the human body. Because they are inhaled, these substances produce an almost immediate “high,” which is generally short-lived. The short-term nature of the high leads users to repeatedly use these substances in an effort to extend their state of intoxication.
Some of the most commonly abused inhalants are Central Nervous System depressants which will create effects similar to alcohol or opioid abuse. Other inhalants are stimulants and will produce results closer to that of cocaine use.
Research has shown that this level of use can lead to breathing difficulties, limb spasms, heart attacks and loss of consciousness. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, as many as 200 people per year die as a result of this combination of systems, often referred to as “sniffing death”. Long-term use of inhalants has also been associated with brain damage and memory loss as well as neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Chronic use of inhalants can also harm organs, such as the kidneys and liver, which work to rid the body of toxic substances. Some of this damage may be partially reversible once the person ceases his or her drug use. However, much of the damage can end up being permanent.
Traces of inhalants and their metabolites can be detected in a person’s system for just a few hours after the last use. It may take chronic users somewhat longer for the drug to be undetectable in their system.