Health Topic

Inhalants

Inhalants are substances that people, usually teens, inhale (breathe in) to get high. Inhalants that are misused include cleaners, gases, and aerosols.

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Also called: Huffing

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Inhalants

Inhalants are substances that people inhale (breathe in) to get high. There are other substances that people might inhale, such as alcohol. But those are not called inhalants, because they can also be used another way. Inhalants are the substances that you can misuse only by inhaling them.

Using inhalants to try to get high, even once, can be very harmful to your brain and body. It can even lead to death.

Inhalants are often products that are easily bought and can be found in the home or workplace. They contain dangerous substances that have psychoactive (mind-altering) properties when they are inhaled. The four main types of inhalants are:

  • Solvents, which are liquids that become gas at room temperature. They include paint thinner, nail polish remover, gasoline, and glue.
  • Aerosol sprays, such as spray paint, deodorant spray, and vegetable oil sprays.
  • Gases, including gas from lighters, whipped cream dispensers, and laughing gas.
  • Nitrites, which are similar to a prescription medicine for chest pain. They are sometimes called "poppers." They are sold in small bottles and may be labeled as "air freshener," "leather cleaner," or "liquid aroma." They are usually not used to alter someone's mood, but to improve their sexual function.

Some of the common slang terms for various inhalants include:

  • Gluey
  • Huff
  • Laughing gas
  • Rush
  • Snappers
  • Whippets/Whippits

People who use inhalants breathe in the fumes through their nose or mouth, usually by "sniffing," "snorting," "bagging," or "huffing." It's called different names depending on the substance and equipment used.

The high that inhalants produce usually lasts just a few minutes, so people often try to make it last by inhaling them again and again over several hours.

Inhalants are mostly used by young kids and teens. They often try inhalants before they try other substances because inhalants are easier to get.

Signs that someone is using inhalants include:

  • Chemical odors on breath or clothing
  • Paint or other stains on face, hands, or clothes
  • Hidden empty spray paint or solvent containers and chemical-soaked rags or clothing
  • Red or runny eyes or nose
  • Drunk or disoriented appearance
  • Slurred speech
  • Nausea or loss of appetite
  • Inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability, and depression

Most inhalants affect your central nervous system and slow down brain activity. Inhalants can cause both short-term and long-term health effects:

  • Short-term health effects include: Slurred or distorted speech
  • Lack of body control
  • Euphoria (feeling "high")
  • Dizziness
  • Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't real)
  • Liver and kidney damage
  • Loss of coordination
  • Spasms in your arms and legs
  • Delayed behavioral development
  • Brain damage

Using inhalants, even once, could lead to an overdose. This can cause you to have seizures or your heart to stop. It can also be deadly.

Addiction to inhalants is rare, but it can happen if you use them repeatedly. Stopping them can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, trouble sleeping, and mood changes.

Behavioral therapy may help people who are addicted to inhalants.

Kids and teens who use inhalants to get high are more likely to try other drugs and to have a substance use disorder (SUD) later in life. So it's important to try to prevent inhalant abuse. One thing that parents can do is talk to their children about inhalants. They can explain the dangers and give their children tips on how to deal with peer pressure if someone asks them to try inhalants.

It sits within Substance Use and Disorders.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Inhalants

15 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

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Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Inhalant Abuse. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Inhalants, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.