The National Inhalant Prevention 
Coalition's site: 

NIDA's pages on inhalants:

Inhalant Abuse

What Types of Products are Abused as Inhalants?

Inhalants fall into the following categories:

Volatile solvents—liquids that vaporize at room temperature


Aerosols—sprays that contain propellants and solvents





Organic nitrites are volatiles that include cyclohexyl, butyl, and amyl nitrites, commonly known as “poppers.” Amyl nitrite is still used in certain diagnostic medical procedures. When marketed for illicit use, they are often sold in small brown bottles labeled as “video head cleaner,” “room odorizer,” “leather cleaner,” or “liquid aroma.”

These various products contain a wide range of chemicals such as:

  • toluene (spray paints, rubber cement, gasoline),
  • chlorinated hydrocarbons (dry cleaning chemicals, correction fluids),
  • hexane (glues, gasoline),
  • benzene (gasoline),
  • methylene chloride (varnish removers, paint thinners),
  • butane (cigarette lighter refills, air fresheners), and
  • nitrous oxide (whipped cream dispensers, gas cylinders).

Adolescents tend to abuse different products at different ages.2 Among new users aged 12–15, the most commonly abused inhalants were glue, shoe polish, spray paints, gasoline, and lighter fluid. Among new users aged 16 or 17, the most commonly abused products were nitrous oxide or whippets. Nitrites are the class of inhalants most commonly abused by adults.3

How are Inhalants Abused?
Inhalants can be breathed in through the nose or mouth in a variety of ways, such as sniffing or snorting fumes from a container, spraying aerosols directly into the nose or mouth, or placing an inhalant-soaked rag in the mouth (“huffing”). Users may also inhale fumes from a balloon or a plastic or paper bag that contains an inhalant.


How Do Inhalants Affect the Brain? 


Long-term inhalant abuse can also break down myelin, a fatty tissue that surrounds and protects some nerve fibers. Myelin helps nerve fibers carry their messages quickly and efficiently, and when damaged can lead to muscle spasms and tremors or even permanent difficulty with basic actions like walking, bending, and talking.

Although not very common, addiction to inhalants can occur with repeated abuse. According to the 2006 Treatment Episode Dataset, inhalants were reported as the primary substance abused by less than 0.1 percent of all individuals admitted to substance abuse treatment. However, of those individuals who reported inhalants as their primary, secondary, or tertiary drug of abuse, nearly half were adolescents aged 12 to 17. This age group represents only 8 percent of total admissions to treatment.5

What Other Adverse Effects Do Inhalants Have on Health?

Lethal effects:
