Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Sep;15(7):443-54.

Inhalant abuse

[Article in English, French]
L Baydala

Inhalant abuse

[Article in English, French]
L Baydala. Paediatr Child Health. 2010 Sep.

Abstract
in English, French

Inhalant abuse - also known as volatile substance abuse, solvent abuse, sniffing, huffing and bagging - is the deliberate inhalation of a volatile substance to achieve an altered mental state. Inhalant abuse is a worldwide problem that is especially common in individuals from minority and marginalized populations, and is strongly correlated with the social determinants of health. It often affects younger children, compared with other forms of substance abuse, and crosses social and ethnic boundaries. Inhalants are pharmacologically diverse products that are selected for their low price, legal and widespread availability, and ability to rapidly induce euphoria. Chronic abuse is associated with serious and often irreversible effects. Widespread screening and early referrals to treatment programs have resulted in significant improvements in the mental, physical and social conditions of those affected. The present statement reviews critical aspects of inhalant abuse, highlighting new information and data that pertain to Aboriginal children and youth, and provides recommendations for treatment and prevention.

L’abus de substances volatiles, également connu sous le nom d’abus de substances inhalées, d’abus de solvants, de sniffing (ou snifage – reniflage à partir d’un contenant), de huffing (inhalation d’un linge imprégné) ou de bagging (inhalation dans un sac placé autour de la bouche et du nez), désigne l’inhalation délibérée d’une substance volatile pour altérer l’état mental. L’abus de substances volatiles est un problème mondial particulièrement courant au sein des populations minoritaires et marginalisées, et il a une forte corrélation avec les déterminants sociaux de la santé. Par rapport aux autres formes de consommation de drogues, il touche souvent les enfants plus jeunes et traverse les frontières sociales et ethniques. Les substances volatiles sont des produits volatils diversifiés sur le plan pharmacologique, sélectionnés pour leur faible coût, leur légalité et leur grande disponibilité, de même que pour leur capacité à induire l’euphorie rapidement. La consommation chronique s’associe à des effets graves et souvent irréversibles. Un dépistage généralisé et un aiguillage rapide vers des programmes thérapeutiques assurent une amélioration importante de l’état mental, physique et social des personnes qui y recourent. Le présent document de principes analyse les aspects cruciaux de l’abus de substances volatiles, fait ressortir de nouveaux renseignements et de nouvelles données à l’égard des enfants et adolescents autochtones et contient des recommandations en matière de traitement et de prévention.

Keywords: Abuse; Inhalant; Solvent; Volatile substance.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

  • Inhalant abuse: A clinic-based study.
    Kumar S, Grover S, Kulhara P, Mattoo SK, Basu D, Biswas P, Shah R. Kumar S, et al. Indian J Psychiatry. 2008 Apr;50(2):117-20. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.42399. Indian J Psychiatry. 2008. PMID: 19742220 Free PMC article.
  • Inhalant abuse.
    Williams JF, Storck M; American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Substance Abuse; American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Native American Child Health. Williams JF, et al. Pediatrics. 2007 May;119(5):1009-17. doi: 10.1542/peds.2007-0470. Pediatrics. 2007. PMID: 17473104 Review.
  • Inhalant Abuse and Dextromethorphan.
    Storck M, Black L, Liddell M. Storck M, et al. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2016 Jul;25(3):497-508. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2016.03.007. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2016. PMID: 27338970 Review.
  • Glue sniffing.
    Jayanth SH, Hugar BS, Praveen S, Girish Chandra YP. Jayanth SH, et al. Med Leg J. 2017 Mar;85(1):38-42. doi: 10.1177/0025817216671106. Epub 2016 Sep 30. Med Leg J. 2017. PMID: 27694447
  • Analysis of some commonly found inhalants using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC MS) - Effect of substrates on the identification of inhalants.
    Yadav PK, Panesar A, Mohan Sharma R. Yadav PK, et al. Sci Justice. 2021 Jan;61(1):61-71. doi: 10.1016/j.scijus.2020.09.003. Epub 2020 Sep 28. Sci Justice. 2021. PMID: 33357828
See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Kozel N, Sloboda Z, De La Rosa M, editors. Epidemiology of inhalant abuse: An international perspective. (NIDA Research Monograph 148). < www.nida.nih.gov/pdf/monographs/148.pdf> (Accessed on March 1, 2010).
    1. Canadian Paediatric Society, First Nations and Inuit Health Committee [Principal author: M Tenenbein]. Inhalant abuse. Paediatr Child Health. 1998;3:123–6.
    1. Adlaf EM, Begin P, Sawka E, editors. Canadian Addiction Survey (CAS): A national survey of Canadians’ use of alcohol and other drugs: Prevalence of use and related harms: Detailed report. Ottawa: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse; 2005. < www.ccsa.ca/2005%20CCSA%20Documents/ccsa-004028-2005.pdf> (Accessed on March 1, 2010).
    1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Results from the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National findings. < www.oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k7NSDUH/2k7results.cfm> (Accessed on March 1, 2010).
    1. Johnston LD, O’Malley PM, Bachman JG, Schulenberg JE. College students and adults ages 19–45. II. Bethesda: National Institute on Drug Abuse; 2007. Monitoring the future: National survey results on drug use, 1975–2007.