<unk> s are a broad range of Substance intoxication|intoxicative drugs whose volatile vapors or gases are taken in via the nose and trachea. They are taken by room temperature volatilization or from a pressurized container (e.g., nitrous oxide), and do not include drugs that are sniffed after burning or heating. For example, amyl nitrite and toluene are considered<unk> s, but tobacco, cannabis, and crack are not, even though the latter are also inhaled (as smoke).
While some<unk>  drugs are used for List of medical<unk> s|medical purposes, as in the case of nitrous oxide (a dental anxiolytic), this article focuses on<unk>  abuse of household and industrial chemicals, in a manner not intended by the manufacturer. These products are used as recreational drugs for their intoxicating effect. Inhaling volatile substances because of their intoxicating effect is called huffing, sniffing, or bagging. According to a 1995 report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the most serious<unk>  abuse occurs among children and teens who "...live on the streets completely without family ties."<unk>  users inhale vapor or aerosol propellant gases using plastic bags held over the mouth or by breathing from a solvent-soaked rag or an open container.
The effects of<unk> s range from an alcohol-like Substance intoxication|intoxication and intense euphoria to vivid hallucinations, depending on the substance and the dose. Some<unk>  users are injured due to the harmful effects of the solvents or gases or due to other chemicals used in the products that they are inhaling. As with any recreational drug, users can be injured due to dangerous behavior while they are intoxicated, such as driving under the influence. In some cases, users have died from hypoxia (lack of oxygen), pneumonia, cardiac failure or arrest, or aspiration of vomit. Brain damage is typically seen with chronic long-term use as opposed to short-term exposure.
Even though many<unk> s are legal, there have been legal actions taken in some jurisdictions to limit access by minors. While solvent glue is normally a legal product, a Scottish court has ruled that supplying glue to children is illegal if the store knows the children intend to abuse the glue. In the US, thirty-eight of 50 states have enacted laws making various<unk> s unavailable to those under the age of 18, or making<unk>  use illegal.
Intoxicative inhalant
Smoke inhalation
Acute inhalation injury
Asthma exacerbation
Chest trauma
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Nicotine poisoning
Smoker's cough