|
Inhalants
"Inhalants" is the name given to a range
of common products, such as glue, aerosol containers,
and butane, which have the potential to be abused as
drugs. As the name suggests, these items are usually
abused by concentrating and inhaling the fumes. The
length of the high produced by "inhaling" is relatively
short, and side effects can include nausea, loss of
inhibition, slurred speech, vomiting, and seizures.
Inhalants are unique because each and
every use holds a potential to be fatal, even the first;
this is known as "sudden sniffing death syndrome," or
SSDS, and results from an irregular heart rate. SSDS can
occur without an "overdose." Because nearly all of the
products abused as inhalants can be legally purchased by
anyone, regulation and prevention of their abuse is
difficult.
|