What household items can get you High?
Can you get high off household items? Surprisingly yes. But it’s not quite what you think. There are many household items that produce a “high-like” sensation and are highly abused. The abuse of household items is most commonly found among teens and adolescents. The reasoning? The items or products can be easily obtained at the local grocery or convenience store, the items are cheap and affordable because they are common household items and it is easy to use and easy to conceal. Another determining factor in why it is so common among young people is because most of these items are legal and the outcome of product abuse results in quick and rapid onset of intoxicating effects.
The most commonly abused substances among young people include alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, stimulants and pain medication. However, before that, most of them were huffing household items such as canned electronic dusters, glue or whipped cream canisters. So why are teens and adolescents sniffing markers in an attempt to get high? Factors such as peer pressure, experimentation and curiosity, mental health disorders, anxiety and trauma can all play a significant role in why teens choose to use such materials to achieve a high.
Inhalant Use Disorder
Abusing household items is very popular among teens and adolescents. Terms such as Huffing, sniffing or bagging all refer to inhaling products in an attempt to get high. The act of huffing is when you place a rag or towel that has been saturated with chemicals over your mouth as you breathe it in. Sniffing involves the same process except that the vapors of the chemical are sniffed nasally rather than through the mouth. Bagging refers to the transfer of chemicals into a plastic bag and placing the bag over the nose and mouth and breathing in the chemicals. This action of ingesting chemicals is also known as inhalant use disorder.
According to a 2020 survey, an estimated 2.4 million people in the US, ages 12 and older, have used inhalants within the past year. Inhalant use disorder is a type of substance use disorder in which users inhale or huff common household items to get high. Huffing, sniffing and bagging all produce short-term effects while producing serious long-lasting adverse side effects. Inhalant use disorder can intensely and directly stimulate and reinforce the reward system in your brain which can cause you to repeat the same actions leading to dependence and addiction.
Inhalants are commonly available around the home and are often the first substance that teens and adolescents experiment with when looking to get high. Research has found that an estimated 3% of adolescents have used inhalants to get high. Tweens and teens ages 12-17 are the most common age group to participate in using inhalants. These products are inexpensive, easy to find and easy to use. The use of these products often occurs before moving on to other substances such as alcohol, vaping and other drugs.
Dangerous Adverse Effects of Inhalant Use Disorder
- Dizziness
- Acute psychosis
- Violent behavior
- Seizure
- Liver and kidney damage
- Heart failure
- Brain damage from hypoxia
- Memory loss
- Personality changes
- Mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety
- Sudden death and damage to nerves that lead to loss of coordination and muscle weakness
- Suffocation due to high levels of chemical vapors in the body that begin to take over oxygen levels in the blood leading to not enough oxygen making its way to the brain and lungs
- Risks for major diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, STIs, bronchitis, asthma and sinusitis
- Inhalant-induced psychotic disorder
- Neurocognitive disorder
- Inhalant intoxication delirium
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What household items can you get high from?
- Volatile solvents are substances that can be turned into vapors that are then inhaled. These include paint thinners, paint removers, gasoline and markers such as Sharpie markers. Huffing these substances can cause vital organ damage, bone marrow damage, hearing loss, heart failure and suffocation.
- Aerosols are substances that are in vapor form and can be huffed or bagged. These include spray paints, spray deodorants, hair sprays, cooking sprays or fabric-protecting sprays. The chemical gas can produce mind-altering effects as well as extreme damage to the brain and heart.
- Gases are usually substances that contain nitrous oxide. They can be found in aerosol canisters such as whipped cream dispensers, helium from balloons, chloroform, halothane from refrigerants or lighters from propane tanks. Side effects of gases include dizziness, hallucinations, nausea and respiratory complications.
- Nitrates are also referred to as poppers. These types of substances are often abused for sexual enhancement. They include air fresheners and deodorizers.
- Spices. Nutmeg is a commonly used spice in baking. It is safe when used in small amounts in baked goods. However, when consumed in very large amounts, it can cause a similar sense of euphoria and hallucinations that mimic a high from LSD. Nutmeg toxicity can lead to adverse effects such as abnormal heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, agitation and psychosis. Nutmeg contains myristicin, a naturally occurring chemical that when taken in large amounts can cause drowsiness, confusion and damage to the GI tract.
- Products that contain hidden alcohol such as isopropyl alcohol, methanol and acetone. These products include mouthwash, which is used to kill bacteria in the mouth and contains small amounts of ethanol. Perfume or cologne contains varying amounts of ethanol between 20-90%. Hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol contains large amounts of isopropyl alcohol. Nail polish remover contains high levels of acetone. Windshield wiper fluid contains high amounts of methanol. Vanilla extract is safe when used in small amounts for cooking. However, it also contains high amounts of ethanol.
- Over-the-counter medications. Cough medications, cold medications, motion sickness medications and allergy medications have all been abused to elicit a sense of euphoria. Cough medications usually contain dextromethorphan or DXM. In high doses, DXM can cause feelings of dissociation, euphoria and hallucinations. Cold medications usually contain pseudoephedrine, a decongestant. In high doses, it can cause hallucinations. Some motion sickness medication contains dimenhydrinate, which is often abused for its psychoactive effects. Abusing over-the-counter medications can lead to difficulty breathing, fatigue, blood pressure changes, increased heart rate, paranoia or psychosis, brain damage and death.
How can you tell if a teen is high from abusing household products?
- Changes in behavior
- Sleep disturbances
- Significant weight loss
- A continuously decreased supply of products in question
- Rags or clothes that contain a chemical odor
- Colored stains on the hands, fingertips, nose and mouth
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Treatment for Substance Use Disorder
Can you get high off common household items? Unfortunately, there are a few products commonly found around the house that teens and adolescents have used in an attempt to get high. These products may seem harmless when used in everyday activities, but they can become dangerous inhalants leading to even more dangerous effects. It is often the start of further substance use leading to alcohol, cannabis, prescription drugs and street drugs. Professional behavioral treatment programs such as Hotel California by the Sea provide the tools, resources and support clients need in substance abuse recovery.
We offer treatment at all levels of care including detox, inpatient residential, partial hospitalization program and intensive outpatient program. Clients will have access to evidence-based treatment methods such as CBT, DBT and EMDR therapy. Hotel California by the Sea is dedicated to helping clients achieve their goals for recovery and overcoming their addiction.
References:
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000794.htm
https://evolvetreatment.com/blog/household-products-teens-high/
https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/reasons-teens-try-inhalants
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15742-inhalant-abuse
https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/substance-use/household-items-used-to-get-high