Canadian Health Network

What is "sniffing" and how does it affect your health?

Inhalant abuse, which is also called "sniffing" or "huffing", happens when people deliberately breathe in the gases from common household or industrial products to get high. Inhalant abuse can be very harmful and is sometimes deadly.

Short-term effects of sniffing

When someone abuses an inhalant, it is breathed in and then passes into the lungs and bloodstream in a matter of seconds. It goes quickly to the brain, heart, kidneys and liver. Inhalants collect rapidly in the central nervous system and have an almost immediate effect on users, who usually experience a short "high" that lasts from a few moments to half an hour. Common short-term and long-term reactions can include:

The high is followed by a long "downer" of pain and discomfort. After-effects and some signs of inhalant use can include:

Long-term effects of sniffing

Repeated sniffing causes other long-term effects. Most of the long-term effects can be reversed once the person stops sniffing, but sometimes it does permanent and very serious damage, including personality changes, seriously damaged mental abilities, blood abnormalities, and damage to the brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, heart and nervous system.

• A long-term user can develop a tolerance. This means the user will need higher and higher doses to get the same effects.
• Regular abuse may cause psychological and physical dependence. This means that if a user stops suddenly, it could trigger withdrawal symptoms.


• It takes ten days for inhalant chemicals to clear out of the body. Repeated use means that toxic chemicals build up and damage the central nervous system and other organs.

Sniffing can also result in death, even after only one use. Also, combining inhalants with other central nervous system depressants like alcohol can be deadly. People who abuse inhalants can die from:

• Sudden Sniffing Death (SSD), which is caused by a severely irregular heartbeat
• suffocation with plastic bags or by choking on vomit
• accidents caused by not being able to recognize normal dangers, like walking out in traffic or falling down stairs.

Sniffing during pregnancy

Inhalants are especially dangerous if they're used while a woman is pregnant or breastfeeding. If a woman sniffs while she's pregnant, it can cause a miscarriage. It also affects the baby, and can cause:

• brain damage
• oral cleft problems
• digestive system problems
• the baby to have withdrawal symptoms when born.

Additional resources

Inhalant Abuse – Canadian Paediatric Society

Parents Be Aware : Sniffing Kills – Canadian Health Network

Youth Volatile Solvent Abuse FAQs – Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse

For help in your province search the Treatment Services in Canada database produced by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse or contact the following agencies:

Alberta
Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission

British Columbia
Alcohol and Drug Information and Referral Service

Manitoba
Addictions Foundation of Manitoba

New Brunswick
Department of Health and Wellness

Newfoundland and Labrador
Health and Community Services – Addictions Services

Northwest Territories
Health and Social Services

Nova Scotia
Department of Health

Nunavut
Health and Social Services

Ontario
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Prince Edward Island
Health and Social Services – Addiction Services

Quebec
Information and Referral Centre of Greater Montreal

Saskatchewan
Health – Addictions

Yukon
Health and Social Services – Addiction Services

References

Be A Prevention Player. Winnipeg, MB: Indian-Metis Friendship Centre of Winnipeg, 1997.

Drugs and Drug Abuse. 3^rd Ed. Toronto, ON: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1998.

The fragile. Winnipeg, MB: Non-potable Alcohol and Inhalant Abuse Committee, 1999.

Jones, H.E. and Balster, R.L. (1998). Inhalant abuse in pregnancy. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America, 25(1): 153-167.

Manitoba Addictions Awareness Resource Kit. Winnipeg, MB: MAAW Committee, 2000.

NIDA Infofax Set: General Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999.

Sniff: Solvents Inhalants // l'inhalation de solvants et autres substances . Winnipeg, MB: Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, 1999.

Tenenbein, M. et al. (1996). Neonatal withdrawal from maternal volatile substance abuse. Archives of Diseases in Childhood, Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 74(3): F204-207.