Matthew Cedrone, The Examiner
2008-03-25 07:00:00.0
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BALTIMORE -

Sniffing solvents is more popular than smoking marijuana for teenagers looking to get high, according to a new report from the University of Maryland Center for Substance Abuse Research.

Inhalants are the most popular type of drug among children 12 to 13, the report found, with more than 500,000 young teens experimenting with solvents.

Lacquer thinner, paint solvents and other corrosive chemicals can dissolve the fat needed to keep brain cells and kidneys functioning, and are some of the most dangerous substances that can be inhaled for a buzz, said Tony Tomasello, director of the office of Substance Abuse Studies at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.

“They really are not all the same. Some are much more dangerous than others,” Tomasello said. “Inhalant refers to the method of putting a drug into your system, not the type of drug.”

Other common products include gasoline, butane and solvents.

Solvents are the most hazardous type of inhalant, Tomasello said. They have depressive effect on the brain and central nervous system. Prolonged use of these inhalants can damage the central nervous system. “If you knock the brain out, you take out the system’s control.”

The most popular types of inhalants among children are glue, shoe polish and toluene, said a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration survey cited in the report.

“This stuff is readily available. It’s cheap and easy to get to,” said Dr. Bruce Anderson, director of operations for the Maryland Poison Center.

The high that people think they are getting is the body not getting enough oxygen, Anderson said.