FORENSIC DRUG RESEARCH PROJECT:

INHALANTS

ZAINAB JABRI
WHAT ARE INHALANTS ?
▸ They are volatile
substances that produce
chemical vapors that can
be inhaled
▸ broad range of chemicals
that have different
pharmacological effects
and are found in hundreds
of different products
▸ Four categories: volatile
solvents, aerosols, gases,
and nitrites(found in
household, industrial, and
medical products)
COMMON STREET NAMES
▸ Air blast-term for
inhalants
▸ Bagging-using
inhalants
▸ Bang-to inject
inhalants
▸ Bullet Bolt-term for
inhalants
▸ Highball-term for
inhalants
▸ Glading- to use
inhalant
HOW CAN INHALANTS BE USED?
▸ “sniffing” or “snorting” fumes from
containers

▸ spraying aerosols directly into the nose

or mouth

▸ -“bagging”: sniffing or inhaling fumes

from substances sprayed or deposited
inside a plastic or paper bag

▸ “huffing” from an inhalant-soaked rag

stuffed in the mouth

▸ inhaling from balloons filled with nitrous

oxide
WHAT ARE SOME CHEMICALS FOUND IN INHALANTS?
▸ Chemicals commonly found in
inhalants: butane, propane,
fluorocarbon, toluene, nitrous
oxide, trichloroethane, methylene
chloride, ethyl chloride

▸ Ex: nitrous oxide

▸ found in anesthetics, as a
greenhouse gas in the atmosphere,
and in engines of certain rockets
and various Luftwaffe aircraft
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ITS USE?
▸ propellant in whipped
cream aerosol containers
▸ in cleaning products for
household items, art or
office supply solvents,
prescription medicines,
cooking sprays, hair/
deodorant sprays, butane
lighters, propane tanks
WHAT IS THE ILLEGAL USE
OF INHALANTS ?
▸ breathing them in
through the
mouth(huffing) or nose
▸ “High” lasts few minutes,
but people continuously
inhale it to make it last
for several hours
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF INHALANTS?

▸ inhaling of fumes from chemicals such as oils, spices, and perfumes to

alter consciousness, or as part of religious ceremonies had been a
common practice during ancient Egypt, Babylonia, India, and China

▸ In the early 1800s, nitrous oxide, ether, and chloroform used as intoxicants

▸ They were a cheap substitute for alcohol and was popularized by British
scientist Sir Humphrey Davy(continued throughout the 19th century in
U.S.)

▸ Ether was used as a recreational drug during the 1920s Prohibition Era

▸ In the 1940s-50s recreational use of solvents such as gasoline became

popular among adolescents

▸ In the 1960s, the practice of solvent sniffing spread across a wide variety
of commercial products including nail polish remover, shoe polish, spray
paint, etc.

▸ Recently, spray paint and gas sniffing has become common in remote
regions of the U.S.
WHAT ARE SOME EFFECTS OF INHALANTS?

▸ Physical: suffocation, irritated ▸ Societal: impaired

stomach and intestines, functioning in
leading to inflammation and
ulcers, muscle weakness, work or social
bone marrow damage situations, erratic
leading to inability to
produce enough red blood
behavior
cells(anemia), scarred liver, involving
high risk of sudden liver aggression
failure, increased risk of liver
cancer towards others,
destroyed
▸ Emotional: loss of self-
control, mania, violent relationships,
behavior, inability to isolation from
concentrate, depression,
paranoia, loss of memory friends/family
WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS OF INHALANT ABUSE?

▸ Sores from the mouth

▸ A smell of chemicals on the breath or in the

clothes

▸ Red, runny eyes or nose

▸ Paint stains on clothing or the skin

▸ Nausea

▸ Drunk, dazed appearance

▸ Excitability

▸ Lack of performance in school or apathy in

teens
EFFECTS OF WITHDRAWAL FROM INHALANTS

▸ nausea, excessive sweating,

muscle cramps, headaches, chills,
agitation, with shaking and
hallucinations

▸ In extreme cases, convulsions can

occur
WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS OF WHAT ARE SOME
OVERDOSE? TREATMENT OPTIONS?
▸ Seizures ▸ Individual therapy

▸ Slurred speech ▸ Therapeutic

boarding schools
▸ Uncontrollable
shaking ▸ Residential drug
recovery programs
▸ Coma
▸ Cognitive
▸ Choking due to Behavioral Therapy
vomiting
LEGAL ISSUES IN NJ

▸ Inhalants are legal for adults to possess and use for its
intended purpose in NJ because they are commonly found
in everyday household supplies, however it’s illegal for it
to be sold to minors and for drivers to operate a motor
vehicle with any amount of an inhalant in their
system(Kimmie’s Law)

▸ Punishment: possible jail sentence up to 30 days and/or

$500 fine
ADDITIONAL INFO
▸ 10% of minors in NJ either
have an addiction to inhalants
or have misused them at some
point in their lives

▸ It’s difficult to determine if a

person was involved in inhalant
use since chemicals quickly exit
from the bloodstream

▸ Children and teens aged 12-17

have shown to have the most
addiction to inhalants
SOURCES
▸ http://www.inhalantaddictiontreatment.com/inhalant-street-names

▸ https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/inhalants/what-are-inhalants

▸ http://www.inhalants.org/chemical.htm

▸ https://arlingtontexasdentist.net/17-things-may-surprise-nitrous-oxide/

▸ http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/inhalants/a-short-history.html

▸ http://www.narconon.org/drug-abuse/inhalants/health-risk.html

▸ http://www.inhalantaddictiontreatment.com/does-inhalant-abuse-have-permanent-side-effects

▸ https://luxury.rehabs.com/inhalant-abuse/

▸ https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/inhalants-overdose/

▸ http://www.inhalants.org/laws.htm