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

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.