Overall, drug abuse and addiction are dangerous and scary enough, but, in a cruel twist of fate, our household products can contribute to a particularly deadly case of substance abuse. Imagine, for a moment, how nasty your felt tip marker or spray paint smells when it hits the air. What is your initial reaction to this overbearing chemical smell? Ultimately, you would probably recoil in revulsion and disgust at the nasty fragrance. However, did you know that some people actually get high after consuming these fumes? This habit, called huffing, is an unfortunate piece in the never-ending degenerative puzzle of drug abuse and addiction. After all, who would think that household products could be this dangerous. Let’s take a closer look at one variety of this practice: paint huffing.
What Is Paint Huffing?
One form of inhalant abuse, huffing takes place when a person consumes the fumes and chemical residue of household substances to achieve a “high.” Overall, this is a generalized term that refers to the abuse or addiction to inhalants in general. Different styles include:
- Huffing: pouring a substance in a cloth and pressing it over the mouth
- Bagging: pouring a substance in a bag and pressing it over the mouth
- Sniffing/snorting: directly inhaling fume from a product container
- Spraying: directly spraying the substance into the mouth or nasal passage
However, one of the most common forms of this practice is paint huffing, which involves the consumption of spray paint fumes. Based on medical research, once a person huffs paint, the chemicals and toxins immediately hit the bloodstream (creating an instant high).
How Common Is Huffing?
Unfortunately, this practice is more common among teens and young adults, since they do not have access to the same drugs adults can get. Nevertheless, adults still use these chemical substances. According to a study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in 2015, 527,000 people (ages 12 and up) confirmed they had been using inhalants, and, in this range, most of the users were 12 to 17 years old.
So why is spray paint such a popular drug? One of its most active chemicals, toluene, creates in instant rush of excitement after hitting the bloodstream.
Always remember that mind-altering drugs do not have control over your life. You do. Are you suffering from a substance use disorder or a severe form of addiction? Do you have a friend or family member suffering from one or more of these debilitating illnesses? If you do, get in touch with Asana Recovery today. Our counselors and healthcare experts are ready to walk you through every step of the detox and withdrawal process and rehabilitation and guide you towards living a happier, healthier, and freer lifestyle. While the road to recovery might not be an easy road to travel, we promise to help you every step of the way. Take the first step to stay fit, healthy, and safe.
The time for you to take back control of your life is now. If you are interested in one of our residential treatment or supervised detoxification/withdrawal programs, we are ready and waiting to speak with you at your disclosure. Call Asana now at (949) 438-4504 to learn how to overcome your drug abuse or addiction troubles today.
