Inhalants are a group of substances that people breathe in to get a quick high, and they include common household products or industrial products rather than a specific drug (Berchtold et al., 2010). They usually don’t have a generic name but are known by the type of product, such as solvents, aerosols, gases, and nitrites. Some common street names for inhalants are whippets (for nitrous oxide, “laughing gas”), poppers (for nitrites), huff, sniff, or bagging (Johnson et al., 2009). Inhalants are generally classified as central nervous system depressants because they slow down brain activity. However, some, like nitrites, act more as vasodilators, which are medications that relax the body and can reduce blood pressure. Most inhalants are legal to buy due to their intended use, such as spray paint or cleaning products, but it is illegal if the intended use is to get high. Inhalants are one of the first drugs abused by the younger population, especially adolescents, but are also commonly used by the majority of the adult population (Takagi et al., 2011), since they are cheap in most stores and are easily accessible because they can often be found at home. Also, inhalants may be used in social settings or sometimes even out of curiosity but can lead to serious health risks.

Inhalants are most commonly administered by breathing in (inhaling) their chemical vapors (Takagi et al., 2011). Methods include “huffing,” which is soaking a cloth and inhaling, and “sniffing” or “bagging,” which is inhaling from a bag. Since this drug is inhaled, the substances enter the bloodstream very quickly through the lungs and reach the brain quickly, within seconds (Dohrn et al., 1993). This causes a rapid onset of effects, usually within seconds to minutes, with a short peak and duration that usually only lasts a couple of minutes unless it is used repeatedly.

Inhalants have a high bioavailability through the lungs, which can make the effects intense but also dangerous. The fast delivery to the brain increases the risk of overdose and brain damage. There is also something called “Sudden Sniffing Death,” which happens when it is used repeatedly in a short period of time.

Inhalants impact several important brain regions including the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the nucleus accumbens (NA), and also the amygdala (Beckley et al., 2016). They also impact the mesolimbic dopamine system (MDS), which is the pathway involved in addiction and reinforcement of drug use. In the short term, using this drug can cause effects such as dizziness, euphoria, and impaired judgment due to its depressant effects on the brain (Beckley et al., 2016). However, too much use or chronic use of this drug can cause memory problems or permanent brain injury and may reduce cognitive function. These brain regions are important for behavior because they control how people make decisions, regulate emotions, and experience rewards. This explains why inhalants can become addictive and lead to serious and risky behaviors.

Inhalants primarily affect neurotransmitters such as dopamine, GABA, and sometimes glutamate. They often increase the activity of GABA, which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that slows down brain activity, causing relaxation and sedation. It can also increase dopamine levels in the brain’s reward system (Beckley et al., 2016), which contributes to the pleasurable feelings and reinforces repeated use. Some inhalants can also disrupt glutamate, which is involved in learning and memory. Depending on the substance used, inhalants can act similar to a depressant by enhancing the inhibitory signal or reducing the excitatory signals in the brain. These changes can interfere with normal communication, which can also impair thinking, coordination, and memory. Long-term use can cause lasting damage in how the brain processes information.

People who use inhalants commonly report short-term psychological effects like euphoria, lightheadedness, and a sense of relaxation or detachment from reality (Roberts et al., 2020). Some also experience changes in perception like distorted vision or slowed thinking. Mood can vary, with some people feeling excited or hyperactive while others might feel anxious or confused, and moods can shift quickly. With lower doses, the effects are usually mild and can include dizziness or feeling “high.” With high doses, people may experience stronger intoxication and hallucinations, or some might lose consciousness. Research shows that these effects can vary widely between people depending on factors like age, frequency of use, and the specific substance inhaled (Roberts et al., 2020).

Inhalant use leads to noticeable behavioral changes like poor coordination, slurred speech, and slow reaction time. It can also impair attention, decision-making, and impulse control (Hernández-Medina et al., 2023), which can result in unsafe behaviors. Social behavior may become more disinhibited, almost like alcohol intoxication. Inhalants can affect the body in different ways physiologically, such as an increase or irregularity in heart rate, nausea, headaches, and dizziness (Dohrn et al., 1993). Some users have also reported experiencing trouble sleeping or feeling drowsy. Since inhalants reduce oxygen supply to the brain and the body, they can cause serious effects such as fainting or seizures with repeated use, and may also cause the lips to turn a blue-purple color if overly inhaled.

If individuals use inhalants repeatedly, they can develop tolerance towards them, meaning they need to use more of the substance to achieve the same effects. Even though inhalants are not always associated with strong physical dependence like most drugs, psychological dependence can occur, where users feel a strong urge or craving (Keriotis & Upadhyaya, 2000) to continue using. Withdrawal symptoms are generally less severe than with substances like opioids, but can include sweating, nausea, irritability, headaches, and also insomnia. These symptoms can begin shortly after stopping use and vary in duration and severity (Keriotis & Upadhyaya, 2000). These withdrawal effects are related to changes in brain chemistry and involve neurotransmitters like GABA and dopamine.

Inhalant use can cause both significant short-term and long-term risks. Some short-term effects would be dizziness, nausea, confusion, loss of coordination, and even, in some cases, unconsciousness or death. Long-term use can lead to serious health problems like liver and kidney damage, brain damage, memory loss, and damage to the nervous system. Inhalants also have a high risk of overdose because it is difficult to control the amount inhaled (Dinwiddie, 1994). Also, using inhalants with other substances like alcohol or any medication can increase the risk of dangerous interactions because they all depress the central nervous system (CNS), which can slow breathing and heart rate to life-threatening levels (Dinwiddie, 1994).

Some inhalants, like nitrous oxide, are used legally in medical and dental settings as anesthetics, but most other inhalants do not have approved medical uses when used in the way people misuse them (Vasilov et al., 2013). When inhalants are misused, they can be extremely dangerous, so harm-reduction strategies are important. One harm-reduction strategy would be educating people, especially adolescents, about the risks and encouraging use in safer environments, even though no use is truly safe. Also, avoiding repeated inhalation in a short period of time can reduce the risk of overdose. An important consideration is that criminalizing inhalant use may not always be effective, since many of the substances are common household products that can be difficult to regulate. Instead, prevention efforts focus on education, early intervention, and providing support for those who are at risk.

There are many misconceptions about inhalants, especially among adolescents. A significant number of young people underestimate the risks of inhalant use (Perron & Howard, 2008), with many believing that trying inhalants once or twice is not harmful. One public perception is that inhalants are seen as less dangerous than other types of drugs because they are legal and are common in household products. Having friends or family members who use these substances will most likely make individuals view them as safer than they actually are. Inhalants are overlooked in media portrayals compared to other drugs, which can contribute to a lack of awareness about their serious health risks (Perron & Howard, 2008). There is also stigma associated with inhalant use, as it is often viewed as a youth or “low-status” drug, which might prevent people from seeking help.

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