Teen Inhalant Abuse

I wrote in a previous entry that a lot of teens assume that prescription drugs are safe because they are prescribed by a doctor and they are pretty much always around the house. Like prescription drugs, some teens think that because they find inhalants in their homes, that they should be safe. Again, this assumption would be totally wrong. Just because you find something in your house doesn't mean its safe. You wouldn't drink bleach just because you found it under the sink (or at least I hope you wouldn't). The abuse of inhalants found in household products can have serious effects on your brain and your body.

It seems like inhalant abuse would be a parent's prevention nightmare because it would be nearly impossible to keep a teenager away from products that can be used as inhalants, such as air freshener, hair spray, white out, spray paint, or even gasoline. All of these products are easily accessible, and even if parents try to remove all of these things from their homes, anybody can go pick up a can of air freshener or a bottle of white out for a couple bucks. This accessibility to products that can be abused is what makes inhalant abuse a serious problem among teens.

Inhalant use may seem like a pretty easy and relatively harmless way to get high, but you could be putting your health, and your life at serious risk. Chemicals that are inhaled are absorbed into the body rapidly, and then travel through the bloodstream. All inhalants slow down the body's function, and cause intoxication, or a high. Many of the consequences of inhalant abuse are very serious, and many of these consequences cannot be reversed. These permanent consequences include brain, liver, and kidney damage, and can result in a loss of hearing and smell (which would be really crappy). Inhalant abuse can also result in death even the first time you use them. Because you are breathing in toxic chemicals, inhalant abuse can result in asphyxiation and suffocation when your body does not get the oxygen that it needs to function.

None of the consequences of inhalant abuse should be taken lightly. You can do serious and irreversible damage to your body. If you have a friend who is abusing inhalants or if you think your teen is abusing inhalants, it is important to be aware of the signs of inhalant abuse, which can include slurred speech, drunk or dizzy appearance chemical smells on clothing, and red eyes. Talk to your friend or your teen about their inhalant abuse and get them help before they do permanent damage to their bodies. If you are abusing inhalants, ask for help to stop so that you don't put your health, and ultimately your life, in danger.

Labels: teen-addiction, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-inhalant-abuse, teen-rehab, teen-substance-abuse

posted by beth @ 4:39 PM