Sniffing whiteout, doing whippets ...

Everyone’s heard about people using these to get high, but did you know that there are actually three different types of inhalants, all with different effects on your body? One basic idea is the same for all — the chemical a person huffs (by sniffing, snorting, inhaling fumes from a plastic bag, or soaking a rag, sock, or roll of toilet paper in it) causes oxygen deprivation. So, your heart beats faster to compensate and more blood flows to the brain — thus the “head rush.” Read on for more details…

Nitrites include amyl nitrite (poppers) and butyl nitrites (Rush, Locker Room). Their effects include:

A brief high caused by both oxygen deprivation and the dilation of blood vessels

A feeling of giddiness, warmth, and a pounding heartbeat; headaches and dizziness

Nitrites can be deadly if swallowed accidentally— they affect the blood’s ability to
     carry oxygen.

Repeated use of nitrites can lead to tolerance. The user has to huff more and more
     to get a high, and will experience withdrawal when they don’t use.

Gas anesthetics include nitrous oxide (whippets). Some of these can cause problems at high levels, because they can “over-anesthetize” you. Their effects include:

The “laughing gas” effect— the giddy feeling from inhaling the chemical

Loss of consciousness (many head injuries are associated with this)

When the gasses escape from their container, they expand, which causes rapid
     cooling. This can injure the mouth, throat. There is even the risk of these
     expanding gasses “blowing up” the lungs.

Long-term effects can include numbness, tingling, and weakness as a result of
     nerve damage.

Solvents include gasoline, lighter fluid, hair spray, paint thinners, spray paint, freon, and cleaning fluids. These are so toxic, even the first time, that experts say that solvent inhalants are the most dangerous drug you can do. Their effects include:

A very brief (15 seconds to a few minutes) high which can vary from feeling numb
     to feeling drunk

Delusions or hallucinations, loss of coordination, ringing in the ears, vomiting,
     and suppressed breathing

Long-term effects such as depression, kidney and liver failure, and bone marrow
     damage

Death. Sudden Sniffing Death (SSD) occurs when a user is either startled or
     engages in physical activity when they are in the oxygen-deprived state described
     above. A jolt of adrenaline gets shot from the heart to the brain, causing cardiac
     arrest. And in a British study of one thousand deaths from inhalant use, about
     one-fifth of the deaths were to first-time users.