Inhaling Death

     When people are introduced to the topic of substance abuse and issues that coincide with substance abuse, they often think of alcohol, pills, cocaine, and marijuana. However, there is another drug that is starting to become a major problem, and that is inhalants. Sonal Sekhar did research on inhalants and discovered the many effects of inhalant use.When someone uses an inhalant they inhale harsh gases/vapors into their nose or mouth and the chemicals in the inhalants are then transferred into their body. Some examples of types of inhalants include, computer (keyboard) cleaner, glue, hair spray, paint thinner, and spray paint. All of these have chemicals in them that alter that person's state of mind when inhaled.
     Sekhar's research revealed that there are many aspects involved as to why a person would use an inhalant. The person's family life may have an impact on the his/her judgment when deciding whether or not to participate in the use of an inhalant. If the person does not live in a stable environment they may be more likely to abuse an inhalant. A few other aspects include, depression and a need to "escape reality", peer pressure to "fit in", or using previous drugs and wanting to experiment more with different drugs.
     There are some ways to tell if a person is using or has used inhalants. The person may seem overly excited, extremely happy, or possibly drowsy. Some other physical signs include runny nose, sneezing, and coughing, these signs are due to the fact that the inhalants are affecting the person's breathing pathways, lungs, and/or mucous membranes. There are three stages that the person enters into when continuing to use inhalants and the signs and symptoms get progressively worse. Sekhar also uncovered that there  are many damaging effects of using inhalants, some are liver and kidney damage, hearing loss, damage to the brain and/or spinal cord, heart failure, increased risk for cancer in the future, damage to bone marrow, high blood pressure, and even death.
     Treatment is necessary in any substance abuse situation, especially cases that involve inhalants because of the many damaging effects. The person should receive neurological testing to determine if there are any irreversible effects dealing with the brain or central nervous system. Other aspects of treatment should include positive family relations, staying away from anyone that may inhibit the person from overcoming the addiction, and possible involvement in a treatment program. The person may also need to go see a behavioral psychologist to hopefully determine why the person started using inhalants in the first place.
  The use of inhalants is on the rise and something needs to be done about it! The research that Sekhar did allowed the population to become more aware of inhalant use but there is still a lot to learn about inhalant abuse. Parents may not always notice if their teens are involved with inhalants, that is why it is extremely important to be aware of the people around you. By doing so, you could save a life!

Sekhar, S. (2012). Inhalant Abuse- A Rising Public Health Problem. International Journal of Medical Sciences and Public Health, 2(1), 146-152. Retrieved from http://imsear.li.mahidol.ac.th/bitstream/123456789/152860/1/ijmsph2013v2n1p146.pdf.
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