Inhalant drug abuse investigations

DEFINITION: Form of illegal drug use involving the inhaling of otherwise legal chemicals to obtain a high.

SIGNIFICANCE: Abuse of inhalants is a drug crime, but defining it as such presents a problem because almost all the substances typically involved in such abuse are completely legal. Illegal drugs are usually defined as illegal by their chemical makeup. In the case of inhalant abuse, however, it is not the inhaled substances that are illegal but the ways in which they are used. This makes the investigation of such abuse particularly difficult for law-enforcement agencies.

Inhalant abusers, many of whom are young people, may generally be described as falling into one of three categories: experimenters, intermittent users, or chronic users. Experimenters are those who have used inhalants on only one or a few occasions. Intermittent users use inhalants every once in a while but not on a regular basis. Chronic users are those who use inhalants on a weekly or daily basis; these users may form a psychological or physical dependence on the inhaled substances. Inhalant use is known by a number of colloquial terms, including huffing, sniffing, and bagging.

History

Inhalant abuse is common among young people in many countries throughout the world, including Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and the United Kingdom. It is often seen in countries that have high proportions of young people who are very poor, because the substances involved are readily available to anyone. In contrast, inhalant abuse is relatively rare in some Southeast Asian countries where hard-core drugs are readily available.

Inhalant abuse is known to have been present in the United States during the 1920’s and 1930’s during Prohibition, when alcohol was illegal, but it was not until the early 1960’s that this behavior was perceived as a problem and law-enforcement agencies began making many arrests. A spike in inhalant use was perceived to take place during the mid-1990’s, probably owing to a population increase among young teenagers—the age group most likely to use these substances. Because no federal guidelines have been established regarding inhalant abuse, individual U.S. states have been left to address the issue on their own. Many states have crafted specific statutes regarding inhalant use, but instead of focusing only on penalties for use, the statutes often stress education as a means of prevention.

Forms of Use and Abuse

In the United States, it is estimated that inhalant use is the most common form of among ten-, eleven-, and twelve-year-olds, and use may begin as early as third grade (about eight years of age). Most users quit the practice by the time they are twenty years old. Some observers have speculated that inhalant use may lead to the use of harder drugs, but this so-called gateway function of inhalants has not been established empirically.

The substances involved in inhalant abuse are poisonous and pose significant hazards to young people. The danger depends on both the amount that is inhaled and the chemical composition of the substance inhaled. Because the amount inhaled is not well controlled, the danger from inhaling too much substance is significant.

The substances that can be inhaled are almost limitless—anything that is in a liquid, aerosol, or gas form can be used. Commonly abused products include gasoline, kerosene, nail polish remover, glue, felt-tipped markers, lighter fluid, spray paint, and hair spray. Gases that may be inhaled include propane, butane, and nitrous oxide. Inhaling benzene, a component of gasoline, increases the user’s risk of leukemia and lowers immune function. Inhaling propane, found in lighter fluid, can produce serious cardiac effects. Freon, an aerosol propellant, can cause respiratory obstruction and liver damage. Toluene, found in gasoline and paint thinners, can cause damage to the brain, liver, and kidneys. Nitrous oxide, sometimes referred to as laughing gas, can cause blackouts and cardiac effects.

Because inhalants replace oxygen in the lungs, asphyxiation, suffocation, convulsions, choking, and coma may result. Death may also result from cardiac if the user experiences a sudden surge in adrenaline while under the influence of inhalants; this phenomenon is known as sudden sniffing death syndrome.

How Investigations Are Conducted

Isolated instances of inhalant abuse are not likely to come to the attention of law enforcement. It is usually only after a community begins to perceive the existence of an inhalant problem—perhaps after one or more users have died—that organized efforts are undertaken to arrest individuals and address the issue. Because most law-enforcement agencies place priority on higher-level drug problems, such as trafficking and use of heroin, cocaine, and so-called club drugs, inhalant use is more likely to be approached as a public health problem. Many American communities address the issue of inhalant abuse through education at the middle and high school levels. When law enforcement becomes involved, it is often to break up groups that use inhalants or to address widespread usage in a high school or community.

Law-enforcement agencies must approach the investigation of inhalant use in ways that are very different from those used to address other types of drug use. They cannot apprehend upper-level dealers who are bringing large amounts of inhalants into their jurisdictions because there are no such dealers—these substances are readily available in every household, business, church, and school. Law-enforcement authorities cannot even look for of illegal substances, because most inhaled substances are completely legal.

The kinds of evidence available in a case of inhalant abuse may include inhaling paraphernalia, inhaled substances, blood tests, and the suspect’s observable behavior. The suspect’s observable behavior—which may be similar to that of an individual who has used alcohol—is frequently enough for an officer to have reasonable suspicion that a substance has been used. The individual can be arrested and taken into custody. At the station, the suspect’s blood is taken for testing and confirmation of inhalant use. The paraphernalia used for inhaling (which may include bags, aerosol cans, bottles, and rags) may contain traces of the inhaled substances, thus indicating that these items have been used for this illegal activity.

Bibliography

Jaunch, Edward C. "Inhalants Clinical Presentation." Medscape, 18 Jan. 2023, emedicine.medscape.com/article/1174630-clinical?form=fpf. Accessed 16 Aug. 2024.

Jaunch, Edward C. "Inhalants Workup." Medscape, 18 Jan. 2023, emedicine.medscape.com/article/1174630-workup?form=fpf. Accessed 16 Aug. 2024.

Julien, Robert M. A Primer of Drug Action: A Comprehensive Guide to the Actions, Uses, and Side Effects of Psychoactive Drugs. 10th ed. New York: Worth, 2005.

Koellhoffer, Tara. Inhalants and Solvents. New York : Chelsea House, 2008.

Kuhn, Cynthia, Scott Swartzwelder, and Wilkie Wilson. Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy. 2d ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 2003.

Weatherly, Myra. Inhalants. Berkeley Heights, N.J.: Enslow, 1996.

Weil, Andrew, and Winifred Rosen. From Chocolate to Morphine: Everything You Need to Know About Mind-Altering Drugs. Rev. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004.