|
Who Abuses Inhalants? Who is Huffing?
According to the 2000 National Household Survey on
Drug Abuse, the number of new inhalant abusers
rose approximately 158 percent from an estimated 392,000
in 1990 to 1,010,000 in 1999.
The primary user group was composed of 12- to 17-year-olds--over
636,000 had tried inhalants for the first time in 1999.
This number is more than double that of the 18- to 25-year-old
user group (276,000.) Almost 17 million individuals
have experimented with inhalants at some point in their
lives.
Huffing and Inhalants are the fourth
most abused substances in the United States among eighth,
tenth, and twelfth graders; alcohol,
cigarettes, and marijuana
are the top three, according to the 2000 Monitoring
the Future Study.
By the time adolescents reach the eighth grade, one
in five has tried huffing and inhalants at least once.
Prevalence of lifetime huffing abuse has consistently
been higher among eighth graders than among tenth and
twelfth graders.
In 2000, 18 percent of eighth graders, 17 percent of
tenth graders and 14 percent of twelfth graders admitted
to huffing inhalants at least once in their lifetime.
Statistics showing higher lifetime huffing
among eighth graders may be due to the fact that frequent
huffing and inhalant abusers typically drop out of school
and consequently do not participate in the tenth and
twelfth grade surveys.
HOW IS HUFFING ABUSED?
Huffing with inhalants occurs when
inhalants are breathed in through the nose or mouth
in a variety of ways. Huffing abusers begin by inhaling
deeply; they then take several more breaths. Abusers
may inhale, by sniffing or snorting, chemical vapors
directly from open containers or by huffing fumes from
rags that are soaked in a chemical substance and then
held to the face or stuffed in the mouth.
Other methods of huffing include spraying aerosols
directly into the nose or mouth or pouring inhalants
onto the user's collar, sleeves, or cuffs and sniffing
them over a period of time (such as during a class in
school).
In a practice known as bagging, fumes are inhaled from
substances sprayed or deposited inside a paper or plastic
bag. Alternatively, the fumes may be discharged into
small containers such as soda cans and then inhaled
from the can. Huffing users may also inhale from balloons
filled with nitrous oxide or other devices such as snappers
and poppers in which inhalants are sold.
SIGNS OF HUFFING ABUSE
• Drunk or disoriented appearance
• Paint or other stains on face, hands, or clothing
• Hidden empty spray paint or solvent containers
and chemical-soaked rags or clothing
• Slurred speech
• Strong chemical odors on breath or clothing
• Nausea or loss of appetite
• Red or runny nose
• Sores or rash around the nose or mouth
Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Research
Report Series, Inhalant Abuse, 10 May 2007.
If you have come across our Addiction Treatment Center web
site, is because you or someone you love is in need
of help for huffing addiction. Cove
Center for Recovery is an Addiction Treatment
Center offering a premier drug addiction
treatment program that can help you or your
loved one. Our aim is to treat the whole person, and
not just an isolated symptom. During the addiction
treatment process we will work with the client
to identify the factors that may have contributed to
their addiction– home, work, relationships and
medical history. We also believe that families have
a vital role to play in the recovery process, and each
program has a place for family participation, to educate
them in the addiction treatment process
and to equip them for their role as supporters.
Call us at 1-888-387-6237 for further information on
our huffing addiction treatment program.
Together, we can discuss how you may benefit from seeking
treatment at Cove Center for Recovery.
Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away.
If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate
attention you may contact us:
Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237
Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com
You may also send us e-mail.
Please keep in mind that e-mails are answered within 24 hours Monday
through Friday.
|
