Teen Overview

Inhaling common household products to get high puts poison into your body. Sniffing or breathing fumes (also called huffing) can cause major health problems and even sudden death. These chemicals can cause brain damage, organ failure, and effect other parts of your body.

Here is how Inhalants can affect your body

Brain

Inhaling can cause permanent damage to the brain and nervous system.

Inhalants have poisons that can damage the protective coating around nerve cells. This disrupts the "command center" and brain cells struggle to send orders to the rest of the body. It can impair your ability to walk or talk.

Liver and Kidneys

Inhalants can damage your liver or kidneys.

Nose

A sniffer may lose his or her sense of smell.

Sniffing can cause nosebleeds.

Ears

Long-time users may lose hearing due to brain damage.

Heart

Inhalants can cause the heart to beat too fast or out of rhythm. This can cause heart failure and death.

Some inhalants make the heart extra sensitive to stress and make it more likely for a person to have heart failure.

Lungs

The lungs absorb the fumes into the bloodstream. The vapors replace oxygen in the blood. With less oxygen, the brain and other organs suffer.

A person can stop breathing and suffocate because of the lack of oxygen in the lungs.

Muscles

A sniffer may lose control of muscles and become clumsy and slow moving. They may lose muscle strength and may experience termors and uncontrollable shakes.

More Information

Avoid Inhalants!

They can be addictive.

Using Inhalants to get high is illegal.

Using can make a person become violent.

Inhaling can cause permanent health problems.

Inhalants Can Kill!

Even one sniff (or two... or ten) can cause a heart attack and death within minutes of inhaling. This is called Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome.

A person can suffocate (just like drowning) from inhaling.

A person can also die from seizures, choking or fatal accidents by sniffing.

Inhalants Contain Strong Poisons

The chemicals people inhale to get high are poisonous.

They can make you very sick.

A person can also die from seizures, choking or fatal accidents by sniffing.

These Poisons Harm Your Body

Inhaling gives people headaches, nosebleeds, and nausea.

You may lose control of your bladder.

Inhaling damages the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys.

They can even cause brain damage so severe that you may never walk or talk again.

Inhalants Change The Way People Act and Think

Inhaling can make people angry or moody.

Pople high on inhalants are more likely to get into a serious accident.

It's Against the Law

In most places, it is illegal to sell or give inhalants to kids.

Those who abuse inhalants may be fined and/or sent to jail.

Inhalants Are Addictive

Over time, users need more inhalants to get high.

Once hooked, it can be very hard to quit.

The more people use, the more damage they do to their bodies.