THE HISTORY OF INHALANTS

All parents are worried about their children using illegal drugs like LSD, cocaine and marijuana. However, they tend to overlook the fact that their children may be at risk of getting addicted to items containing volatile aerosols and solvents, which are kept at home. Items like deodorant, nail polish remover, glues, cleaning liquids, whipped cream canisters, hair sprays, spray paints and lighter fluid are easily extensively obtainable. There are so many youngsters who tend to sniff the vapors from these sources without knowing the adverse effects of their behavior.

Chemical vapors are given out by inhalants, which are volatile substances. When these vapors are breathe in then it can produce mind-changing or psychoactive effects as a result. A huge range of chemicals is present in inhalants that can cause pharmacological effects of various kinds. Inhalants are categorized in to four broad categories:

-         Gases utilized in commercial or domestic items such as refrigerant, whipped cream containers, propane tanks and butane lighters.

-         Inhalants containing gases used as medical anesthetics like nitrous oxide, chloroform and ether.

-         Spray that consists of solvents and propellants (aerosols) like fabric protector sprays, vegetable oil sprays for the purpose of cooking, hair sprays, deodorants and spray paints.

-         Liquids that vaporize at room temperature (volatile solvents) like correction fluid, gasoline, dry-cleaning fluid, paint thinners or removers.