Inhalants! Or by its street term, huffing. Huffing is a fast growing problem among our youth and military members. They are using common chemicals that are found around our homes, schools, and places of work to achieve a very dangerous high. From the information you are about to hear, you will be able to better understand and become aware of what huffing abuse is, what the symptoms are, and what the consequences of abuse are. Inhalant abuse is extremely dangerous, as parents and military leaders we must educate ourselves to learn the warning signs.
First we need to understand what classifies an inhalant and then we can improve our understanding of what to watch for. The warning signs of inhalants could include constantly running out of a specific cleaning agent, always needing to fill the gas can for the lawn equipment, or never finding the canned whipped cream that was just bought. According to Teen Health (2010), inhalants are classified into four categories; volatile solvents, aerosols, gases, and nitrites (used as sexual enhancers). Substances that fall under these categories are items such as paint thinners and felt-tip markers; spray paint and hairspray; canned whip cream (nitrous oxide) and refrigerant. According to Neuroscience for Kids (n.d), “nitrous oxide was discovered in 1776 by Sir Joseph Priestley and in 1799; Sir Humphrey Davy suggested that nitrous oxide could be used during surgery to reduce pain.” As you can see inhalants isn’t something new.
When I was young, I had a good friend that liked to do inhalants because they were readily available and they provide a quick and cheap high. The inhalant that he favored was gasoline and permanent markers; the method that he used to get “high” was huffing...
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...and effects of using inhalants to get high. Without the education they need, we are setting them up for disappointment and we are failing at our jobs of raising a better future.
In conclusion, we need to be better educated on what is happening in the world of drugs so we can have a better defense for our children and subordinates. Being in the military, constantly receiving education training on such matters has made it common knowledge, but parents and teachers must understand and be better educated on what is happening with our children and possibly even our co-workers. The Department of Defense and state authorities have recognized the problems of inhalant abuse and have enacted laws to combat this issue. So to be able to prevent or help someone that is abusing, it is imperative that we understand the warning signs and the side effects of inhalant abuse.
Nicotine is an infamous chemical substance that is often found in tobacco. Tobacco contains several hundred chemical compounds and has been known to cause many dangerous health issues, primarily to the respiratory system, such as coughing, asthma, and in many cases, lung cancer. However, it is not nicotine itself that causes these health issues, but rather, it is other chemicals, mainly tar, that lead to damage in the respiratory system. That is not to say that nicotine is harmless. On the contrary, nicotine is a stimulant and it is the major cause of why tobacco is so addicting (Benowitz, 2008). An advocate for this claim, could argue that nicotine is more dangerous than tobacco itself due to the addiction that it can cause. This point of
Signs that may alert you to an inhalant user would include, but are not limited to, slurred speech, a chemical smell on the breath, a decrease in appetite, poor memory, sores in the mouth or throat, agitation or excitability. These are the major symptoms of inhalant use and should be dealt with immediately.
A few words are in order on the distinction between use and abuse of drugs. This differentiation is critical to such diverse topics as societal justification for limiting access to drugs (whether By legal or other means) or for considering psychological intervention.
Sneezing is the body's natural way of expelling germs and harmful substances from the mouth, nose and lungs. If an inhalant was created to increase sneezing after being in a smoke filled environment, your body could naturally abolish the toxins. By clearing your sinus more often after being exposed to chemicals, some toxins will naturally leave the body, preventing them from doing further damage. Using the inhalant afterwards could help children and adults cleanse their system after inhaling secondhand smoke, reducing the risk of unwanted disease.
Drugs cause an overall disturbance in a subjects’ physiological, psychological and emotional health. “At the individual level, drug abuse creates health hazards for the user, affecting the educational and general development of youths in particular” (“Fresh Challenge”). In youth specifically, drug abuse can be triggered by factors such as: a parent’s abusive behavior, poor social skills, family history of alcoholism or substance abuse, the divorce of parents or guardians, poverty, the death of a loved one, or even because they are being bullied at school (“Drugs, brains, and behavior”) .
2. Users place a wad of tobacco in the mouth and chew or suck the chemicals (nicotine) out.
These types of drugs are mainly used by adolescents and children since they are fairly easy to obtain and give a decent euphoria. The users of inhalants usually inhale the chemicals in through the mouth or nose, either directly or from a soaked rag. The chemicals in inhalants can be toxic or poisonous to the human body which leads to many severe health issues. Inhalants tend to contain a variety of different chemicals and long-term effects depending on its constituents. There are many possible side effects of inhalant abuse such apathy, lethargy, poor judgment, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, hallucinations, blurred vision, garbled speech, impaired coordination, muscle weakness, coma, stupor, delayed reflexes, slower movement and thought, and
The drug control policy of the United States has always been a subject of debate. From Prohibition in the early 1930’s to the current debate over the legalization of marijuana, drugs have always been near the top of the government’s agenda. Drug use affects every part of our society. It strains our economy, our healthcare, our criminal justice systems, and it endangers the futures of young people. In order to support a public health approach to drug control, the Obama administration has committed over $10 billion to drug education programs and support for expanding access to drug treatment for addicts (Office). The United States should commit more government resources to protect against illegal use of drugs by youths and provide help for recovering addicts.
...ssures to be the best they can be academically. With all these pressures of adolescence on the rise, more and more teens are falling prey to the alluring “high” that allows a temporary leave from their problems and stress. Because teens lack the maturity and knowledge to understand long term consequences, they tend not to think about the down falls that they will face as a result of the drug use. This is especially true when it come to marijuana, as it is seen by so many as the harmless drug. With the increased use of marijuana by youth over the last three decades, it is imperative that better preventative measures, and firmer penalties, be put in place to educate and raise awareness concerning the risks and dangerous side effects that marijuana use can have. Only once society has put these preventative measures in to action, will there be an effective change seen.
Inhalants are a man-made mood alternating drugs, they are cheap but hazardous. People use inhalants to slow brain activity, and make them feel calmer by changing their mood. The user can either breathe in the inhalant, sniffle or snort, or spraying it directly into their nose and mouth. Inhalants in the early 1800s were used as intoxicants. During the 1940s and 50s the use of solvents
Secondhand smoke, we have all heard of it and know at least one person that smokes. Throughout the history of smoking, many researchers have found that secondhand smoke is more dangerous than the actual smoking of cigarettes. Many people know that there are dangers to smoking and secondhand smoke, but many tend to avoid the advice given to them. Secondhand smoke is very harmful to people of all ages. It destroys the inside and outside of one’s body. Secondhand smoke is not only dangerous indoors but as well as outdoors. On average every year there are many death results found. As humans should want to live a healthier life and come together to prevent smoking in the future.
Wattigney, Wendy A., Wendy E. Kaye, and Maureen F. Orr. "Acute Hazardous Substance Releases Resulting in Adverse Health Consequences in Children: Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance System, 1996-2003." Journal of Environmental Health 70.4 (2007): 17-24. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 1 May 2011.
Did you know three cigarettes could get one addicted? Every time one takes a puff of a cigarette
Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.
1. Inhalants are household products that are inhaled or sniffed by children to get high.