Drunk teen driver spared jail for mate's death

Christopher Gordon was given a suspended sentence

A teenage drunk driver whose friend died in a road crash at Glanville in Adelaide has been given a suspended jail sentence and banned from driving for a decade.

Christopher Robert Gordon, 19, pleaded guilty to aggravated charges of causing death and harm by dangerous driving, as well as leaving the scene of an accident.

In February last year, his 18-year-old friend Luke Gill was killed when Gordon crashed his utility into a stobie pole.

Mr Gill was riding in the tray of the utility and was flung to the ground.

He died days later in hospital when his life support was turned off.

Another passenger also was injured in the road crash.

The trio had spent the night drinking at a friend's house and a nearby bar, then caught a taxi back to the friend's house, which was less than a kilometre from where the accident happened.

The two passengers had intended riding their bicycles home but Gordon offered them a lift in his work vehicle.

In sentencing, District Court Judge Gordon Barrett said Mr Gill chose to ride in the tray.

"It is not quite clear why he did that. There was room for all three of you in the utility and there was a seat belt for each of you," he said.

"The police found you sitting on the ground some streets away. You had glazed eyes and slurred speech. You admitted being the driver.

"It is true that you walked away from the scene but I do not find that that was to avoid detection. You were cooperative with police."

There is no doubt that you are truly sorry for having driven on the night. You have demonstrated your remorse in every way you can

Judge Barrett

Tearful apology

Judge Barrett said Gordon attended his friend's funeral and wrote a card apologising to Mr Gill's parents and expressing his condolences.

He said Gordon also made a tearful apology in court for his actions.

"The death of Luke Gill has had a devastating effect on his family. Their lives ... have been changed forever," the judge said.

"There is no doubt that you are truly sorry for having driven on the night. You have demonstrated your remorse in every way you can. You are determined to live the best life that you can.

"Given the way that you have reacted after the accident, I find it unlikely that you will offend again."

Judge Barrett said deterring people from similar behaviour was important in such cases and Gordon's blood alcohol reading had been more than three times the legal limit.

"However there was no course of erratic driving or excessive speed," he said.

"Although there was only one act of driving, one of your passengers was killed, the other injured. As you well know you should never have been driving."

Judge Barrett took what he described as an unusual step in suspending a prison sentence of three years and four months because of Gordon's youth, lack of prior offending, his being unlikely to reoffend and his genuine remorse.

He imposed a $500 three-year bond and banned Gordon from driving for the minimum period under state legislation, 10 years.

Hooked On Heroin: Young People Battle Addiction

By ANDREW SULLIVAN

It's a nightmare no parent wants to face: discovering that your child has fallen prey to the deadly pull of heroin.

On this week's "20/20," co-anchor Chris Cuomo follows the journeys of three young people caught in the powerful grip of heroin addiction. Over the course of eight months of reporting, "20/20" was aided by the Caron Treatment Centers, which has provided treatment for addicts and their families for more than 50 years.

Tom Dietzler, an addiction counselor at Caron's Young Adult Program, stresses that addiction is a powerful disease -- one that can cause good kids from loving families to make horrible decisions.

"They have no fear of death," Dietzler says of heroin addicts. "They will do anything they can to get their drug. They become vicious as they progress into their addiction."

Heroin gives users a euphoric high, followed by an intense physical withdrawal that addicts describe as 10 times worse than the flu. To avoid the pain of withdrawal, the heroin addict structures life around getting the next dose.

Abbie Hoff, also a counselor at Caron, says that the addict's life quickly begins to revolve around the same, never-ending questions: "'When am I going to get the drug again?' 'How am I going to get the drug again?' 'What do I need to do to get the drug again?' The obsession begins and all they want is the drug."

Not a '31 Day Cure Pill'

A major challenge in recovery is to help patients completely restructure their lives in a way that's no longer centered on a drug. This can be a long process, and many families are surprised when their child isn't "cured' after the standard month-long treatment cycle.

"Many parents when they bring their children here, it is almost like [they expect] a 31-day cure pill," says Tom Dietzler. "Wave a magic wand, Mr. Dietzler, make my son or daughter better."

But the rituals of addiction are ingrained in the addict, and they're difficult to break.

"Most people are using for at least a couple of years, sometimes 10 years, sometimes 15 years," says Hoff. "So I believe it's unrealistic to think that you can begin a healing process in 30 days."

Relapses Are Common

Addicts themselves often feel that they are cured after a few weeks of sobriety, but quickly relapse once they leave treatment. It's one reason that 78 percent of heroin addicts in treatment have been through rehab before, often multiple times, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Abbie Hoff works at Caron Renaissance in Boca Raton, Fla., an extended care treatment community where patients live for several months to learn how to structure a sober life. Through intensive counseling and group therapy, patients learn the coping skills necessary to deal with stress without turning to drugs.

But how much treatment is enough? Experts say there is no universal timeline: every patient is different.

"We treat people individually here," says Hoff. "Some people take two to three months just for the brain to start healing, before they can even look at their core issues."

The Family Is the Patient

While every patient is unique, family involvement is critical. Families can help encourage and support the patient, but often family therapy also reveals deep-rooted issues that need to be addressed.

"I think a lot of family members believe that if they put the patient in treatment, the patient is going to get well and that's all that needs to be done," says Hoff. "What we have found is that we have to help the family, empower the family to get well right along with the patient...In cases that I've seen a patient fail in treatment, usually it's because the family doesn't get involved, or the family doesn't want to take a look at their own issues they might have."

And while the uphill battle of recovery can be daunting, experts agree that parents need to face reality and get their child help if they want them to have any chance of beating the addiction.

"My advice for families who think that they might have a loved one that is having difficulty or is addicted to a substance is to get help as soon as possible," says Hoff. "The family often is in just as much denial as the patient is...and if the family doesn't get well the drug addict doesn't have any motivation to get well. "

Steroids and teens: Young abusers ignore health risks

By Staten Island Advance Editorial 
Steroids aren't just being abused in pro and college sports. It's estimated that the average U.S. high school has 25 to 45 students illegally using the performance-enhancing drug.

On Staten Island, which has 29 high schools, this indicates that up to 1,000 or more pupils potentially face serious health risks or even death because of steroids.

The fact is, about 75 percent of Americans who improperly use the controlled substance are teenagers.

Which largely is going unnoticed here and elsewhere.

Most people don't view steroids as a major problem among high school students, according to a major new survey about perceptions and beliefs nationwide.

It found that just under one in five Americans think that steroid abuse is a real threat in grades nine through 12. One out of two persons views it as an issue among college students; and two out of three as a problem in professional sports.

"We all need to understand that this problem is going on in my child's school and is most likely going on in my child's circle of friends," said Don Hooton of the Taylor Hooton Foundation, a nonprofit that counsels on steroids.

The survey is a collaboration between the Hooton Foundation, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society.

They commissioned the poll to highlight the lack of knowledge about performance-enhancing drugs and the risks faced by young abusers in communities across the nation.

U.S. law prohibits the misuse of steroids, which in 1990 were put into the same legal class as amphetamines, morphine and opium. Steroids can cause cancer, heart problems, liver damage, high blood pressure and behavioral problems.

They can kill you.

Yet the survey found that the public perceives steroid use as the lowest-rated problem among adolescents relative to all other prevalent risk behaviors and conditions; it is ranked even lower than eating disorders.

"These numbers demonstrate the problem of steroid use is bordering on the level of an American tragedy," said Gene Monahan, former trainer of the New York Yankees.

The survey is highly credible.

"The American Public's Perception of Illegal Steroid Use" was developed by the Center for Social Development and Education and the Center for Survey Research at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

It is the most comprehensive opinion poll to date assessing the American public's beliefs about the use of performance-enhancing drugs among adolescents.

"The results of this study show that steroids and performance-enhancing substances remain a mystery to the American public," said Jeff Idelson, who is president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Mr. Hooten called the survey "a step in waking up America to address this problem."

Too often, performance-enhancing drugs — especially steroids — are seen by sports fans mainly as something that skews competition in favor of the players who cheat.

But ignoring the ultimately debilitating effects of steroid abuse ought not to be tolerated at any level.

The incentive for young athletes is undeniable.

Many come to see that enhancing athletic performance with drugs is the road to success despite the dangers — the best way to compete and obtain rewards and riches.

"We have an adult population that is virtually oblivious to the fact that the problem even exists," said Mr. Hooton.

His 17-year-old son, Taylor — a cousin of former big league pitcher Burt Hooton — committed suicide in 2003. Doctors attributed Taylor's behavior to depression caused after he stopped using performance-enhancing drugs.

What is the solution to the problem?

Full-scale drug testing at the high-school level isn't viable because of the cost. Major League Baseball says the price of an illegal substance test under its program is $285.

So more needs to be done through public and private means to educate teenagers and their families about the hazards of performance-enhancing drugs.

It is a dire threat we can't afford to ignore.

Drug Abuse and HIV--How Are they Related?

Drug abuse and addiction have been linked with HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic. Although injection drug use is well known in this regard, the role that non-injection drug abuse plays in the spread of HIV is less recognized. This is partly due to the addictive and intoxicating effects of many drugs, which can alter judgment and inhibition and lead people to engage in impulsive and unsafe behaviors.

Injection drug use. People typically associate drug abuse and HIV/AIDS with injection drug use and needle sharing. When injection drug users share "equipment"-such as needles, syringes, and other drug injection paraphernalia-HIV can be transmitted between users. Other infections-such as hepatitis C-can also be spread this way. Hepatitis C can cause liver disease and permanent liver damage.

Poor judgment and risky behavior. Drug abuse by any route (not just injection) can put a person at risk for getting HIV. Drug and alcohol intoxication affect judgment and can lead to unsafe sexual practices, which put people at risk for getting HIV or transmitting it to someone else.

Biological effects of drugs. Drug abuse and addiction can affect a person's overall health, thereby altering susceptibility to HIV and progression of AIDS. Drugs of abuse and HIV both affect the brain. Research has shown that HIV causes greater injury to cells in the brain and cognitive impairment among methamphetamine abusers than among HIV patients who do not abuse drugs. In animal studies, methamphetamine has been shown to increase the amount of HIV in brain cells[*].

Drug abuse treatment. Since the late 1980s, research has shown that treating drug abuse is an effective way to prevent the spread of HIV. Drug abusers in treatment stop or reduce their drug use and related risk behaviors, including drug injection and unsafe sexual practices. Drug treatment programs also serve an important role in providing current information on HIV/AIDS and related diseases, counseling and testing services, and referrals for medical and social services.

 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the principal biomedical and behavioral research agency of the United States Government. NIH is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Facts About Substance Abuse and Risky Sexual Behavior

Adolescents and other young adults who use drugs and alcohol often take risks that endanger their health and the health of others. One of the most harmful risks is that of engaging in risky sexual activities. Scientific research has demonstrated that the use of alcohol and drugs is related to the occurrence of unsafe sexual behavior that places adolescents at risk for pregnancy or contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as HIV/AIDS. Young people need to recognize the deadly consequences of HIV/AIDS, and that they are potential targets for infection.

• Adolescents are at high behavioral risk for contracting most STDs, and teens account for one-quarter of the 15 million new cases of STDs diagnosed each year. STD infection may result in infertility, birth defects, and the transmission of HIV.
• It has been estimated that at least half of all new HIV infections in the United States are among people under age 25, and the majority of young people are infected sexually.
• Since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began, injection drug use has directly and indirectly accounted for 36% of AIDS cases in the United States. Racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States are most heavily affected by injection drug use-associated AIDS.
• From 1999 to 2000, the use of Ecstasy (MDMA) increased among 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade levels. For 10th and 12th graders, this is the second consecutive year MDMA use has increased. Past-year use of Ecstasy among 8th graders increased from 1.7% in 1999 to 3.1% in 2000; from 4.4% to 5.45% among 10th graders; and from 5.6% to 8.2% among 12th graders.
• Also among 12th graders, the perceived availability of Ecstasy rose from 40.1% in 1999 to 51.4% in 2000 (not measured for 8th and 10th graders).
• White and Hispanic students show considerably higher rates of Ecstasy use than African-American students. For example, past-year use among African-American 12th graders is 1.3%, compared to 7.6% for white and 10.6% for Hispanic 12th graders.
• Past-year use of steroids among 10th graders increased from 1.7% in 1999 to 2.2% in 2000. In addition, a decrease was noted among 12th graders in the perceived risk of harm from using steroids.
• Since 1999, marijuana use has remained stable in all three grades.
• Among 12th graders, past-year heroin use rose from 1.1% in 1999 to 1.5% in 2000, resulting in one of the highest reported rates of heroin use among seniors. This trend may reflect the increasing availability of high-purity heroin in smokable and snortable form.

Bath Salts--A Dangerous Drug

What Are Bath Salts?

“Bath salts” are a new family of drugs containing one or more manmade chemicals related to cathinone, an amphetamine-like stimulant found naturally in the khat plant.

There have been reports of severe intoxication and dangerous health effects from using bath salts. These reports have made the drugs a serious and growing public health and safety issue. The synthetic cathinones in bath salts can produce feelings of joy and increased sociability and sex drive. But some people who abuse bath salts experience paranoia, agitation, and hallucinations; some even lose contact with reality and act violently. Deaths have been reported in several cases.

What Are the Common Street Names?

The synthetic cathinone products sold as “bath salts” should not be confused with products like Epsom salts that are sold to improve the experience of bathing. Epsom salts have no drug-like properties.

Bath salts are usually white or brown crystalline powder and are sold in small plastic or foil packages labeled “not for human consumption.” Sometimes labeled as “plant food”—or, more recently, as “jewelry cleaner” or “phone screen cleaner”—they are sold online and in drug product stores under a variety of brand names, such as “Ivory Wave,” “Bloom,” “Cloud Nine,” “Lunar Wave,” “Vanilla Sky,” “White Lightning,” and “Scarface.”

How Are Bath Salts Abused?

Bath salts are typically swallowed, inhaled, or injected, with the worst dangers being associated with snorting or needle injection.

How Do Bath Salts Affect the Brain?

Common manmade cathinones found in bath salts include 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), mephedrone (“Drone,” “Meph,” or “Meow Meow”), and methylone, but there are many others. There is a lot we still don’t know about how these substances affect the human brain, and each one may have somewhat different properties. Chemically, they are similar to amphetamines (such as methamphetamine) and to MDMA (Ecstasy).

The energizing and often agitating effects reported in people who have taken bath salts are similar to the effects of other drugs like amphetamines and cocaine. These drugs raise the level of the neurotransmitter dopamine in brain circuits that control reward and movement. Dopamine is the main neurotransmitter that makes people feel good when they do something they enjoy. A rush of dopamine in these circuits causes feelings of joy and increased activity and can also raise heart rate and blood pressure. Learn more about how neurotransmitters work in the section “How Does the Brain Communicate?”.

Bath salts have been marketed as cheap (and until recently, legal—see Box) substitutes for stimulants like amphetamines and cocaine. A recent study found that MDPV—the most common manmade cathinone found in the blood and urine of patients admitted to emergency departments after taking bath salts—raises brain dopamine in the same way as cocaine but is at least 10 times stronger..

The hallucinatory effects often reported in users of bath salts are similar to the effects caused by other drugs such as MDMA or LSD. These drugs raise levels of another neurotransmitter, serotonin, in a way that is similar to MDMA.

What Are the Other Health Effects of Bath Salts?

Bath salts have been linked to a high number of visits to emergency departments and Poison Control Centers across the country. Reports show bath salts users have needed medical attention for heart problems (such as racing heart, high blood pressure, and chest pains) and symptoms like paranoia, hallucinations, and panic attacks.

Patients with the syndrome known as “excited delirium” from taking bath salts also may have dehydration, breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, and kidney failure. Intoxication from several synthetic cathinones including MDPV, mephedrone, methedrone, and butylone has caused death in several instances.

Synthetic cathinones appear to have a high abuse and addiction potential. Rats in an experiment administered themselves the drug and increased the amount they took in a pattern identical to the way they took methamphetamine. Bath salts users have reported that the drugs cause an intense urge to use the drug again and that they are highly addictive. Frequent use may cause tolerance, dependence, and strong withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug.

The dangers of bath salts are even more complicated when you consider that these products may contain other, unknown ingredients that may have their own harmful effects.

Also, people who believe they are purchasing other drugs such as Ecstasy may be in danger of receiving synthetic cathinones instead. For example, mephedrone has been found commonly substituted for MDMA in pills sold as Ecstasy in the Netherlands.

An Evolving Threat

When bath salts emerged at the end of the last decade, they rapidly gained popularity in the United States and Europe as “legal highs.” In October 2011, the Drug Enforcement Administration placed three common synthetic cathinones under emergency ban pending further investigation, and in July 2012, President Obama signed legislation permanently making two of them—mephedrone and MDPV—illegal along with several other synthetic drugs often sold as marijuana substitutes (“Spice”).

Although the new law also prohibits chemically similar “analogues” of the named drugs, manufacturers are expected to respond by creating new drugs different enough from the banned substances to evade legal restriction. After mephedrone was banned in the United Kingdom in 2010, for example, a chemical called naphyrone quickly replaced it, and is now being sold as “jewelry cleaner” under the brand name “Cosmic Blast.”

Teen Drug Abuse Can Lead to Crime--Prostitution, Theft and Violence

Criminality and Substance Abuse Linked

Criminality and substance abuse have long been linked. Criminal acts can range from activities such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, domestic violence, robberies, assaults, prostitution and rape. The manufacturing or distribution of illegal drugs such as methamphetamine or cannabis and the use of such drugs are also serious acts punishable by the law.

The relationship between drug and alcohol use and crime is a difficult one to establish, however. Do drugs or alcohol lead to criminal activities or is it the other way around? Will an individual who is not using drugs or alcohol engage in behaviors such as assault or robberies without the influence of other substances? Statistics show that the majority of drug or alcohol users do not become addicts. The majority of users can manage their drug or alcohol use and will ‘grow out’ of any harmful drinking or drug taking. However, there are a number of individuals who do use to excess and do commit crimes and the two factors are linked.

Researchers have suggested that there is a strong link between severe drug and alcohol use and criminal behavior. This may be because the user has a decreased perception of social support and decreased social network. Other sociological factors are also important in understanding why someone turns to drugs or alcohol or engages in criminal behaviors. These include living conditions, family, employment, marital status and mental health.

Alcohol and Crime

Alcohol is a key factor in many violent crimes. Statistics reveal that in the UK, 1 in 5 people arrested by the police test positive for alcohol. Alcohol is a factor in over 60 per cent of homicides, 75 per cent of stabbings, 70 per cent of beatings, and 50 per cent of fights and domestic assaults. One third of offenders had a current problem with alcohol use, or had a problem with binge drinking. Nearly half had misused alcohol in the past and a third had violent behavior linked to their alcohol use. Nearly half of these people were alcohol dependent. Alcoholism is also a factor in incarcerated individuals. One study revealed that 25 per cent of prisoners in the United States tested positive on alcoholism and alcohol dependency tests.

Drugs and Crime

The use of illegal drugs is considered a criminal act in nearly all countries around the world, and drug use is almost automatically associated with criminal behavior. This act alone means that there is a link between drugs and crime. Research does suggest, however, that the majority of illegal drug users will not go on to commit other crimes such as robberies or assault. In other words, drug use does not necessarily lead to an increase in crime, even among people who are regular users or who have developed an addiction.

Of those individuals who do commit crimes, there is some link between drug use and crime. Robberies are often committed to support drug habits; assaults, rapes and violent crimes are often linked to drug use. But there is some gray area in understanding why some users will commit these crimes and others do not. Poverty, personality disorders, social and cultural factors, association with other users and previous incarceration or drug use are all factors. These issues all have an important role in understanding the risk of criminality and drug use.

Drug Use and Prostitution

Drug use is intrinsically linked to prostitution, especially street prostitutes. Estimates reveal that between 40 and 85 per cent of all prostitutes are drug users. Many prostitutes, men and women, are selling sex to support their drug habits. Prostitutes are often the victim of violent crimes, rapes, assaults and other serious crimes; but, because of their lifestyle and the work they do, they are unreported crimes. Research has suggested that over 80 per cent of prostitutes had been physically assaulted, threatened with a weapon and were currently or previously homeless. Nearly 70 per cent had been the victim of rape.

Inhalants--the how, what & why

What are they?

If you’ve ever come across a smelly marker, you’ve experienced an inhalant. They seem harmless, but they can actually be quite dangerous. Inhalants are chemical vapors that people inhale on purpose to get “high.” The vapors produce mind-altering, and sometimes disastrous, effects. These vapors are in a variety of products common in almost any home or workplace. Examples are some paints, glues, gasoline, and cleaning fluids. Many people do not think of these products as drugs because they were never meant to be used to get "high." But when they are intentionally inhaled to produce a “high,” they can cause serious harm.

Although inhalants differ in their effects, they generally fall into the following categories:

Volatile Solvents, liquids that vaporize at room temperature, present in:

• Certain industrial or household products, such as paint thinner, nail polish remover, degreaser, dry-cleaning fluid, gasoline, and contact cement
• Some art or office supplies, such as correction fluid, felt-tip marker fluid, and electronic contact cleaner

Aerosols, sprays that contain propellants and solvents, include:

• Spray paint, hair spray, deodorant spray, vegetable oil sprays, and fabric protector spray

Gases, which may be in household or commercial products, or used as medical anesthetics, such as in:

• Butane lighters, propane tanks, whipped cream dispensers, and refrigerant gases
• Anesthesia, including ether, chloroform, halothane, and nitrous oxide

Nitrites are a class of inhalants used primarily as sexual enhancers. Organic nitrites include amyl, butyl, and cyclohexyl nitrites and other related compounds. Amyl nitrite was used in the past by doctors to alleviate chest pain and is sometimes used today for diagnostic purposes in heart examinations. When marketed for illicit use, these nitrites are often sold in small brown bottles and labeled as "video head cleaner," "room odorizer," "leather cleaner," or "liquid aroma."

What Are the Common Street Names?

Common slang for inhalants includes "laughing gas" (nitrous oxide), "snappers" (amyl nitrite), "poppers" (amyl nitrite and butyl nitrite), "whippets" (fluorinated hydrocarbons, found in whipped cream dispensers), "bold" (nitrites), and "rush" (nitrites).

Who Abuses Inhalants?

Inhalants are often among the first drugs that young adolescents abuse. In fact, they are one of the few classes of substances that are abused more by younger adolescents than older ones. Inhalant abuse can become chronic and continue into adulthood.

Data from national and state surveys suggest that inhalant abuse is most common among 7th through 9th graders. For example, in the Monitoring the Future study, an annual NIDA-supported survey of the Nation's secondary school students, 8th graders regularly report the highest rate of current, past-year, and lifetime inhalant abuse compared to 10th and 12th graders. In 2012, 6.2 percent of 8th graders, 4.1 percent of 10th graders, and 2.9 percent of 12th graders reported abusing inhalants in the year prior to the survey. One of the reasons may be that, according to the 2012 survey, nearly 66 percent of 8th graders don’t think trying inhalants once or twice is risky and 41 percent don’t consider the regular use of inhalants to be harmful. Young teens may not understand the risks of inhalant use as well as they should

What Are the Common Effects?

Initial Effects

The lungs absorb inhaled chemicals into the bloodstream very quickly, sending them throughout the brain and body. Within minutes of inhalation, users feel "high." The effects are similar to those produced by alcohol and may include slurred speech, lack of coordination, euphoria, and dizziness. The high usually lasts only a few minutes.

With repeated inhalations, many users feel less inhibited and less in control. Some may feel drowsy for several hours and experience a lingering headache.

Effects on the Brain

Inhalants often contain more than one chemical. Some chemicals leave the body quickly, but others stay for a long time and get absorbed by fatty tissues in the brain and central nervous system.

One of these fatty tissues is myelin, a protective cover that surrounds many of the body's nerve fibers. Myelin helps nerve fibers carry their messages to and from the brain. Damage to myelin can slow down communication between nerve fibers.

Long-term inhalant use can break down myelin. When this happens, nerve cells are not able to transmit messages as efficiently, which can cause muscle spasms and tremors or even permanent difficulty with basic actions like walking, bending, and talking. These effects are similar to what happens to patients with multiple sclerosis—a disease that also affects myelin.

Inhalants also can damage brain cells by preventing them from receiving enough oxygen. The effects of this condition, also known as brain hypoxia, depend on the area of the brain affected. The hippocampus, for example, is responsible for memory, so someone who repeatedly abuses inhalants may lose the ability to learn new things or may have a hard time carrying on simple conversations. If the cerebral cortex is affected, the ability to solve complex problems and plan ahead will be compromised. And, if the cerebellum is affected, it can cause a person to move slowly or clumsily.

Other Health Effects

Regular abuse of inhalants can cause serious harm to vital organs besides the brain. Inhalants can cause heart damage, liver failure, and muscle weakness. Certain inhalants can also cause the body to produce fewer blood cells, which can lead to a condition known as aplastic anemia (in which the bone marrow is unable to produce blood cells). Frequent long-term use of certain inhalants can cause a permanent change or malfunction of peripheral nerves, called polyneuropathy.

Specific Effects by Type of Inhalant

Depending on the type of inhalant abused, the harmful health effects will differ. The table below lists a few examples.

Examples of Effects by Type of Inhalant

Inhalant	Examples	Effects
TOLUEENE	Spray paint Glue Dewaxer Fingernail polish	Hearing loss Damage to white matter in the brain
TRICHLOROETHYLENE	Cleaning fluid Correction fluid	Hearing loss
HEXANE	Glue Gasoline	Peripheral neuropathy (nerves carrying messages to and from brain and spinal cord don’t work properly)
NITROUS OXIDE	Whipped cream dispensers Gas cylinders	Hearing loss
BENZENE	Gasoline	Bone marrow damage
DIFLUOROETHANE (FREON) SUBSTITUTES	Dust-Off	Irregular heart rhythms

Butane gas, found in cigarette lighters and refills, makes the heart extra sensitive to a chemical naturally found in the body that carries messages from the central nervous system to the heart. This chemical, noradrenaline, tells the heart to beat faster when someone is in a stressful situation. If the heart becomes too sensitive to noradrenaline, it can affect the heart's rhythm, with potentially lethal consequences.

Nitrite abuse has other health risks. Unlike most other inhalants, which act directly on the brain, nitrites enlarge blood vessels, allowing more blood to flow through them. Inhaled nitrites make the heart beat faster and produce a sensation of heat and excitement that can last for several minutes. Nitrites can also cause dizziness and headaches. Nitrites are typically used by older adolescents and adults, and their abuse is associated with unsafe sexual practices that can increase the risk of contracting and spreading infectious diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis.

If Inhalants Are Harmful, Why Do Kids Use Them?

Many kids think inhalants are a harmless, cheap, and quick way to "catch a buzz." Because many inhalants can be found around the house, kids may not even think they are harmful. But the chemicals in the inhalant vapors can change the way the brain works and cause other complications in the body. What kids often don't know is that, in some cases, the harmful effects of inhalants can be irreversible.

Are Inhalants Addictive?

Some people, particularly those who abuse inhalants a lot and for a long time, report a strong need to continue using inhalants. Compulsive use and a mild withdrawal syndrome can occur. In fact, this is consistent with recent research in animal models showing that toluene can affect the brain in a way that is similar to other drugs of abuse (e.g., amphetamines). Toluene increases dopamine activity in reward areas of the brain, and the long-term disruption of the dopamine system is one of the key factors leading to addiction.

How Can I Tell if Someone Is Abusing Inhalants?

Sometimes you can’t tell. Other times you might see small signs that tell you a person is abusing inhalants. They might have chemical odors on their breath or clothing; paint or other stains on their face, hands, or clothing; nausea or loss of appetite; weight loss; muscle weakness; disorientation; or inattentiveness, uncoordinated movement, irritability, and depression.

What Should I Do if I Know Someone Is Abusing Inhalants?

When someone has a drug problem, it's not always easy to know what to do. If someone you know is abusing inhalants, encourage him or her to talk to a parent, school guidance counselor, or other trusted adult. There are also anonymous resources, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) and the Treatment Referral Helpline (1-800-662-HELP).

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) is a crisis hotline that can help with a lot of issues, not just suicide. For example, anyone who feels sad, hopeless, or suicidal; family and friends who are concerned about a loved one; or anyone interested in mental health treatment referrals can call this Lifeline. Callers are connected with a professional nearby who will talk with them about what they’re feeling or concerns for other family and friends.