by Carly Evans

Created on: February 12, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

Although many parents are appropriately concerned about illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and LSD, they often ignore the dangers posed to their children from common household product.
A single session of repeated inhalant abuse can disrupt heart rhythms and cause death from cardiac arrest or lower oxygen levels enough to cause suffocation, according to nida.org.

Innhalant abuse is commonly known as huffing. Products such as glues, nail polish remover, lighter fluid, spray paints, deodorant and hair sprays, whipped cream canisters, and cleaning fluids contain volatile solvents or aerosols that will give a person the "high" feeling some strive for according to cbsnews.com.
Inhalant use among teens is so common because they are widely available, inexpensive, easy to conceal, and legal. Most users do not know how dangerous these substances can be, and once hooked, its tough to break the habit, according to magellanassist.com.
Inhalants are the third most abused substance among teens, according to National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Teens use inhalants by sniffing or "snorting" fumes from containers, spraying aerosol directly into the mouth or nose, bagging (inhaling a substance from inside a paper or plastic bag), huffing from an inhalant soaked rag, or inhaling from balloons filled with nitrous oxide according to magellanassist.com.
Inhalants are second only to marijuana in terms of teen drug use, according to nida.org.
National surveys indicate that more than 22.9 million Americans have abused inhalants at least once in their lives, according to nida.org.
"I don't understand why people do that. It's serious business, that stuff can kill you," sophomore Amberle Henkles said.
Regular abuse of these substances can result in serious harm to vital organs including the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver, according to cbs.com.
Nearly all abused inhalants produce effects similar to anesthetics. They act to slow down bodily functions. The effects can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, according to magellanassist.com.
Chronic exposure can lead to brain damage, heart damage, damage to the lungs, liver, kidneys and nerve damage, according to nida.com. Prolonged abuse can affect thinking, movement, vision and hearing.
High concentrations of inhalants can cause death by causing the heart to stop beating, seizures, suffocation, convulsions, coma, choking or fatal injury from intoxication.

Learn more about this author, Carly Evans.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.