Health
Addiction and dependency
Solvent abuse
What you need to know
Solvent abuse is very dangerous. There is no safe way to sniff or breathe in chemicals. The risks are very high regardless of if you are sniffing for the first time or you have been sniffing for a while.
When inhaling solvents, users normally feel an initial euphoria and lowering of inhibitions that is followed by feelings that are similar to those when you are drunk. You could feel disorientated, have blurred vision, feel sick and even have blackouts. The after-effects of inhaling solvents can include a mild hangover that leaves you feeling tired and lacking in concentration for about a day.
Just because solvents can be bought legally over the counter it does not mean that it is right to inhale them.
You might be surprised to hear that there are more deaths among school age children from inhaling chemical substances than from all other illegal drugs.
What you can do
The best thing that you can do is make sure you know the facts about solvent abuse and be aware of the dangers:
- Sniffing is very risky and can sometimes result in death.
- The health risks of abusing solvents include severe headaches, blackouts and in some cases fatal heart problems.
- The long term effects of solvent abuse can include brain damage or failure of the kidney and liver.
