Adolescent Inhalant Abuse Inhalant Abuse

Adolescent Inhalant Abuse

Inhalant abuse refers to the deliberate misuse of products such as aerosol sprays, paints, glues, and gaseous propellants in pressurized food canisters as a form of recreational drug use or experimentation. More specifically, users typically "sniff" or "huff" the chemicals in these products for their mind-altering properties. Generally, they either inhale the vapors directly or they spray them into receptacles such as paper bags or balloons and inhale the fumes given off by the products from the receptacles.

Inhalant Abuse

Inhalant abuse is a problem that is most common among pre-adolescents and young adolescents, largely because these substances are much more easily available to this group of substance abusers than other types of illicit drugs (NIDA, 2010). In addition to the association between inhalant abuse and subsequent drug abuse of other types, inhalant abuse is extremely dangerous. Certain types of inhaled substances can cause permanent memory loss and other types of serious permanent brain damage (NIDA, 2010).

According to the U.S. Institute for Drug Abuse researchers in the fields of substance abuse and adolescent behavior, more than 700, 000 people over the age of 12 try inhalants for the first time in a given year (NIDA, 2010). Rates of inhalant abuse have declined in the last decade, mainly because of increased awareness, penal enforcement, and changes in the way that manufacturers design tamper-resistant containers, and the way that retailers have complied with new federal regulations prohibiting sales to minors (NIDA, 2010; Wu, Pilowsky, & Schlenger, 2004).

Experts in child psychology and adolescent behavior report that the risk of inhalant abuse is directly associated with other behavioral patterns and tendencies (NIDA, 2010; Wu, Pilowsky, & Schlenger, 2004). Specifically, those who already exhibit delinquent tendencies, social maladjustment, and other types of substance abuse and experimentation with recreational drug use. There is also a strong peer-association element to inhalant abuse which is why identification of at-risk behaviors, preventative counseling, and education are among the most effective means of prevention (NIDA, 2010; Wu, Pilowsky, & Schlenger, 2004).

Interventions