Inhalants are everyday use products easily found in homes and offices. They include markers, adhesives, glues, spray paints, cleaning fluids, hair spray, nail paint thinners, and more. They are laced with dangerous psychoactive chemicals that can alter the way you think, feel, and behave.
People generally consider these products harmless, as they are for everyday usage. Many come with the warning to keep away from children and pets. It is hard to imagine that such daily use products can make your children hardcore addicts!
You would be surprised to know that places like Minnesota drug rehab get inhalant addicts in large numbers. They are as addicted as heroin and cocaine addicts. Many parents are shocked to know their teenagers inhale fumes from the daily, harmless-looking items around the house.
Do you know inhalants are substances that are mostly used by kids and teenagers? In fact, they are more common among school-goers.
If you are a parent and still oblivious of the fact that your seemingly harmless paint thinner can become a thing of substance abuse, then read on.
The following things are commonly used by kids and teens to create a “high.” Some kids become so addicted to them that they need rehab.
Solvents
Household products and industrial use items such as:
- Lighter fluid
- Gasoline
- Dry cleaning fluids
- Paint thinners
- Paint removers
Office supplies and art supplies such as:
- Glue and adhesives
- Felt-tip marker fluid
- Correction fluid
- Electronic contact cleaners
Gases
Gases used in houses and commercial areas such as:
- Propane tanks
- Butane lighters
- Whipped cream aerosols (also called whippets)
Gases used as anesthesia such as:
- Ether
- Nitrous oxide
- Chloroform
Aerosols
Aerosols used in the house such as:
- Deodorants
- Hair sprays
- Spray paints
- Vegetable oil sprays
- Aerosol computer cleaning solutions
Nitrites
Nitrites are easily available in small-sized brown bottles labeled as:
- Liquid aroma
- Leather cleaner
- Room odorizer
- Video head cleaner
These are shockingly common items that we use in our daily lives. And if you are unaware of their addictive nature, you may never suspect your kid or teen to abuse them. In fact, it can even grip you through its ability to bring a pleasurable experience to the inhaler.
However, kids and adolescents are found to be more vulnerable to inhalant addiction.
Reasons why kids and teens use inhalants
- The chemicals are easily available around the house.
- Parents themselves ask kids to run errands and buy solvents and other such products.
- They are legal.
- Kids are allowed to buy the products.
- Their effect withers off quickly, so nobody can suspect the child is under a “high.”
- It is easy to use them. You only need to open the container and inhale.
- Once you use them, you want to use them again due to the “incredible” feeling they render.
If you learn your kid is using inhalants, do not ignore it. They won’t stop using them on their own. You must seek expert help. Call the addiction hotline.
Inhalants are risky. At times, they even lead to death on the spot.
