Do you ever remember a time when you found the whip cream can as a kid and decided to put the spout in your mouth? All you really wanted was to sneak a taste of some deliciousness before your mom found out, but then you may have accidentally brought about a buzz in the process as well. This seems to be a normal rite of passage that many kids encounter that seems relatively innocent and it probably is. The problem is that with some people once they get that dizzy alluring sensation, they may want to keep coming back for more.
A can of whipped cream may seem like a minor problem although this type of inhalant is frequently used with teenagers ages 16 to 17 along with whippets. An inhalant is a volatile substance which generates chemical vapors that are inhaled with the intention of producing a psychoactive effect. The classification of inhalants includes four groups that include nitrites, gases, volatile solvents, or aerosols. Inhalants are found in hundreds of industrial, household, or medical products that represent a broad range of chemicals.
One of the main reasons that people use inhalants is because they are inexpensive, easily accessible, and can be purchased legally. Someone that uses inhalants may also be using them as a deflection and replacement to illicit drugs because they are not easily detected in a drug test unless there is chronic use, or a blood test reveals elevated enzymes in the liver. Inhalants further produce pleasurable effects that cause euphoria, dizziness, hallucinations, and psychoactive results.
Most people think inhalants are not harmful. Putting dangerous chemicals into the body over a period time can cause cognitive problems, nosebleeds, nausea, sensory loss, headaches, brain damage, nerve damage, lung damage, and asphyxia that can lead to suffocation, unconsciousness, organ failure, or death.
While a kid squirting whipped cream into their mouth may seem cute and funny, the reality is that someone that uses an inhalant inappropriately can die the very first time that this happens or on the hundredth time. Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome (SSDS) can affect anyone at any time at any age. The inhalant may cause the heart to beat at a more rapid pace with the immediate onset of the vapor from an inhalant. In return, sudden death through cardiac arrest can result from SSDS. Bottom line – inhalants can kill.
If you or someone you know is struggling with drugs and alcohol, Renewal Recovery Solutions can be the difference that takes you far in your sobriety. Our mission is to provide the finest service to our clients as well as foster a recovery program that is second to none.
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