• Injury - Impaired judgment is a consequence of inhalant abuse. Inhalers have been known to try and swim across a river or fly off a building. Fatal burns have occurred from lighting a cigarette while continuing to inhale.
• Asphyxiation and Suffocation - According to NIDA (2005) Asphyxiation is caused from repeated inhalations, which lead to high concentrations of inhaled fumes that displace oxygen in the lungs. Suffocation has been known to occur when inhaling fumes from a plastic bag placed over the head. http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Inhalants/Inhalants4.html

• Choking - Users can aspirate their own vomit.
• Suicide - A frequently used method of inhalation is for the abuser to place a plastic bag over the head or wrap the body in plastic with the inhalant enclosed. As a result, the inhaler passes out from the inhalant and suffocates to death.
• Sudden Sniffing Death - According to NIDA (2005) Sudden Sniffing Death (SSD), can result from a single session of inhalant use by an otherwise healthy young person. SSD is particularly associated with the abuse of butane, propane, and hydro-carbon propellants.
  

  According to Ridenour, Bray, and Coulter (2007) “Sudden Sniffing Death syndrome” can occur during inhalant intoxication when an inhalant users is startled.  This appears to be due to release of large amounts of catecholamines, which induce ventricular fibrillation.
  
  According to the National Medical Society (2002)"Sudden Sniffing Death," as it is called, is responsible for more than half of all deaths due to inhalant abuse. Additional information can be obtained from the following Web Sites:
  http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZDARS2B7C&sub_cat=23
  http://www.inhalants.org/new_items.htm

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