Risks of Lighter Fluid Abuse in Adolescents

When most people think about substance abuse, they think about illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines and heroin. Those are dangerous substances, but some people abuse substances that may initially seem much tamer. For instance, some people, mainly young people, abuse lighter fluid by sniffing or "huffing" it. The inhalation of lighter fluid fumes gives people a feeling of euphoria and it is addictive.

Prevalence

American Family Physician reports that as much as 20 percent of all students in middle and high schools have trying huffing things like lighter fluid. Paint and glue are also substances commonly huffed. Adolescents often have easy access to these substances and they are typically cheaper to purchase than many street drugs. While some stores have stopped selling substances like lighter fluid to people under the age of 18, clerks do not always check identification carefully. In addition, adolescents can often obtain these substances in their own homes and don't even have to purchase them. If doesn't always occur to parents to keep such substances out of the reach of their children.

Signs to Watch For

Some signs that your child is sniffing lighter fluid including stained clothing, breath that smells of chemicals and sores on his lips or inside his mouth. Other things to watch out for include acting confused or forgetful, seeming anxious or irritable, slurred speech, complaining of dizziness, trouble sleeping and decreased appetite.

Of course, if you discover containers of lighter fluid in your child's room, in the household trash, or hidden elsewhere in the house, that's a sign that your child is huffing because children generally have no legitimate use for lighter fluid. If you keep lighter fluid in the house, consider keeping it in a locked cupboard with other potentially hazardous materials, just as you might lock a liquor cabinet for your child's protection.

Negative Effects

The negative effects of lighter fluid abuse include both medical problems, mental problems and emotional problems. Some common physical problems include difficulty breathing, vomiting, abnormal heart rhythms, neurological damage, liver damage, kidney failure, mouth ulcers and burns on the skin. Emotional and mental problems caused by lighter fluid abuse include trouble sleeping, depression, trouble concentrating (which may result in a drop in grades) and memory loss. Lighter fluid abuse can be deadly in some cases.

Sources:

American Family Physician. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2003/0901/p869.html . Recognition and Prevention of Inhalant Abuse.