Inhalants are chemical or gaseous substances that produce mind-altering effects when inhaled. Most of them are products used in everyday life, so they are not typically classified as drugs. They can be extremely dangerous because they are generally not intended for human consumption, and they can cause permanent damage and death.
Addiction inhalants that are used as drugs fall into four broad categories:
- Volatile solvents: industrial or household products like paint thinners, gasoline and cleaning products, and office or art supplies like glue and felt-tip markers
- Aerosols: hairspray, deodorant, spray paints, aerosol cleaning products
- Gases: household or commercial products like butane lighters, propane tanks and “whippets” (whipped cream aerosol cans), and medical anaesthetics like nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”), ether and chloroform
- Nitrites: substances like amyl nitrite and cyclohexyl nitrite (“poppers”), which are usually sold as sexual enhancement products
Addiction Inhalants are taken in a number of ways, the most common of which are the following:
- Huffing: inhalation via a chemical-soaked rag that is held to the face
- Sniffing: inhalation directly from the product or a vessel containing the product
- Bagging: inhalation via a plastic bag that has been sprayed with vapours and placed over the head
