Toward a Clear Definition of Inhalant Abuse

Abstract

The study of the nature and extent of the use of volatile, psychoactive substances has been hampered by a confusing terminology. Widely disparate substances such as glue, gasoline, anesthetic gases, and nitrites have all been discussed under the single rubric of “inhalant abuse.” A classification scheme is proposed which differentiates users of substances such as volatile hydrocarbons (gasoline, glue, etc.) from users of the anesthetic gases and of the amyl and butyl nitrites. Since users of these three types of volatile chemicals differ on predisposing factors, level of dysfunction, and consequences of use, the former group should be classed generically as “inhalant” users, while the latter should be diagnosed as users of a specific drug.