Sniffing

Glue sniffing is the intentional inhalation of gases or vapours to achieve a high. There are all sorts of household chemicals that contain volatile substances that can create a high. Whether it is glues, gases or aerosols they mostly have the same effect on the body and are classified as volatile substances.

Effects

Breathing in a volatile substance can make you high but they can also have severe effects on the body. Inhalants are depressants, which slow down the body’s responses. Wider effects vary person to person, and depend on what specific chemical was used, but the most common effects are:

• Mood swings, aggressive behaviour, hallucinations, vomiting and blackouts.
• Feeling as though drunk with dizziness, dreaminess, giggles, and difficulty thinking straight.
  
• Certain chemicals can cause a red rash around the mouth.
  
• Getting a hangover afterwards, such as a severe headache or exhaustion.

Danger

Though these products are easily reachable they can be particularly dangerous, they are most commonly abused by children and teenagers, below are some of the most common dangers caused by sniffing.

• They can seriously affect your judgment, and while high often dangerous actions can be undertaken.
• If the gas is squirted down the throat, it can make the throat swell up so the person can't breathe, and it can slow down the heart causing a heart attack.
• Some users die from passing out and choking on their own vomit.

• There is a risk of suffocation if a person inhales from a plastic bag over their head.
  
• Long-term abuse can damage the muscles, liver and kidneys. While very long term use can cause a lasting impairment of the brain.
  
• Too much gas can result in a coma or even death, on even the first try.

It is important to educate children on the dangers of sniffing before experimentation begins as these dangerous effects can begin from the very first try.