Inhalant abuse in children and teenagers: glue sniffing dangers and signs

What is inhalant abuse in children, and what is glue sniffing?

Inhalant abuse in children means a child or teenager getting into the habit of sniffing the fumes of volatile chemicals found in ordinary household and industrial products, to get a quick, short-lived high or a dizzy feeling. In Egypt people call it sniffing "kolla" (glue) or "al-mawad al-tayyara" (volatile substances), and in Egypt and Morocco it is also known as "silisyon". Its biggest danger is that it can kill suddenly, even the first time, and the people most exposed to it are younger teenagers and the most vulnerable children, such as children living on the street.

The US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains on its page updated in 2024 that inhalants are used mostly by adolescents, especially younger ones, and that their short-term effects resemble being drunk: dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, confusion and slurred speech. Because they are easier to get than other substances, children often try them before anything else, as the MedlinePlus medical library notes.

This article is written to help you recognize and prevent the problem, not to explain how these products are used. That is why we name no products: it is enough to know that any unexplained chemical smell that keeps following your child deserves your attention.

Why do the youngest and most vulnerable children turn to glue sniffing?

Glue sniffing is not the problem of a "bad" child. More often it is the sign of a child who is hurting or living in hard circumstances. Medical sources point to several reasons why children in particular are more at risk:

• Easy to get and cheap: these products are within reach of children who are too young or too poor to get other drugs, as a review published in the journal American Family Physician in 2003 explains.
• Poverty and street life: a systematic review published in the journal Addiction in 2013, covering studies from resource-constrained countries, found that about 47% of street children in the studies it analyzed had used inhalants, and that inhalants were the substances they used most.
• Escaping pain: in the same review, among the reasons children most often gave for using substances in general were peer pressure, forgetting their problems and escaping reality, and gaining the "courage" to cope with the street.
• Abuse and violence: the American Family Physician review notes that children who have been abused, or whose friends or relatives use drugs, are at greater risk.
• Dropping out of school: leaving school is part of the same picture as poverty and street life, and inhalant use itself may push a young person out of education. A study of thousands of twins in Australia, published in Addiction in 2023, found that inhalant use in adolescence was linked with not finishing secondary school, even after taking family background into account.

In Egypt specifically, a 2006 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says that poverty, unemployment, family breakdown, abuse and neglect are the main things that push children onto the street, and that Egyptian studies put inhalants at the top of what these children use. Some turn to them to bear hunger, pain and violence, and they prefer glue because it is cheap. A small study presented at the European Congress of Psychiatry in 2010, involving 100 street children attending units that serve them in Egypt, found that all of them used inhalants and kept using them despite knowing the harm. The researchers called for integrated rehabilitation services that combine detection, detox and mental health care.

Solvent abuse signs that parents and teachers notice

No single sign proves it, but several signs together deserve your attention. Sources such as Cleveland Clinic and NIDA list the following:

Signs in the body and appearance

• A strange chemical smell on the breath or clothes.
• Chemical stains on the face, hands, nails or clothes.
• Irritation, sores or spots around the mouth and nose.
• Red eyes, a runny nose or nosebleeds.
• A drunk-like appearance: unsteady walking, slurred speech and a dazed look.
• Nausea, loss of appetite and weight loss, and neglected personal hygiene.

Signs in behavior and schoolwork

• Confusion, poor concentration and forgetfulness.
• A quick, clear drop in school performance.
• Irritability, aggression, sadness, or obvious apathy and loss of interest.
• A sudden change of friends or hobbies.
• Empty containers or hidden items with a strong chemical smell.

Glue sniffing effects: from sudden death to brain and nerve damage

Some children and parents think glue is "lighter" than drugs because it is a product sold in shops. The truth is the exact opposite.

With repeated use, long-term harms build up. Some may improve after stopping, but many may be permanent:

• The brain: problems with memory, attention and judgment; brain scans may show shrinkage and changes in the white matter that may not recover.
• The nerves: damage to the protective sheath around some nerve fibers, affecting thinking, movement, vision and hearing, and sometimes numbness or weakness in the arms and legs.
• The organs: serious damage to the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys; the bone marrow and blood production can also be affected.
• Mental health: long-term use is strongly linked with depression, anxiety, and personality and mood disorders.
• A path to other drugs: children who start with inhalants are more likely to try other drugs and develop an addiction later.

As for addiction itself, NIDA says that many people who use inhalants repeatedly feel a strong need to keep going, and that stopping can bring irritability, anxiety and craving. The American Family Physician review adds that a physical withdrawal syndrome has been described, although it is uncommon, with symptoms that can include poor sleep, jitteriness, sweating, nausea, vomiting and a fast heartbeat, and that it should be managed in a medical setting where possible. The MSD Manual, on the other hand, describes the dependence as psychological, so the sources differ on how often physical withdrawal happens; either way, anyone who wants to stop needs a medical assessment. The same manual notes that relapse is common among teenagers, which is why treatment needs follow-up.

How should families and schools respond to suspected glue sniffing?

1. Calm down first and don't leave them alone: don't confront or scold your child while they are under the influence, but stay close and keep watching their breathing. Don't simply wait at home for them to come round: the American Family Physician review recommends medical monitoring of the heart and breathing after recent inhaling, because either can stop. So if your child is still drowsy, confused or not fully alert, or shows any of the danger signs above, call an ambulance on 123 at once and keep watching them calmly until help arrives. As the HSE notes, you can call even if you are not sure. Then, once they have recovered, choose a calm time to talk.
2. Speak with love, not accusation: tell them you are worried because you love them, ask what is troubling them, and listen more than you talk.
3. Explain the danger clearly and simply: these are poisonous chemicals that can stop the heart after a single use, not a game or a "harmless experiment".
4. Look for the cause: is there bullying, abuse, a problem at home or school, or friends encouraging them to use? Dealing with the cause is part of the solution.
5. Limit access without turning home into a prison: keep chemical products out of young children's reach, and keep an eye on things with warmth rather than spying.
6. Work with the school: teachers and school social workers notice falling grades early and can let the family know confidentially. Cleveland Clinic notes that teaching teenagers life skills at school, such as self-esteem, communication and handling pressure, has helped reduce inhalant use.
7. Get specialist help: even if it looks like a one-off, a medical assessment will reassure you and pick up any harm early.

The American Family Physician review recommends teaching children, parents and teachers about the signs and the dangers. To learn how to support your child without unintentionally feeding the problem, read supporting without enabling addiction.

When should you get help for your child right away?

• If you have noticed more than one of the signs above, even if your child denies it.
• If your suspicion keeps coming back, or your child admits using even once.
• If you notice problems with memory, walking or vision, or a fall in grades you can't explain.
• If deep sadness, withdrawal or new aggression appears, since there may be depression in your teenager that needs treatment too.
• If the child is living on the street, has dropped out of school or has been exposed to violence.

If your child or teenager talks about harming themselves or wanting to die, take it seriously. Ask them directly and calmly: are you thinking about hurting yourself or ending your life? Then listen without blaming them or brushing it off. If they are in danger, don't leave them alone, move anything they could hurt themselves with out of reach, and call an ambulance on 123 right away (outside Egypt, your local emergency number). You can also call the Ministry of Health's mental-health hotline on 16328 or Oxygen Center's emergencies line on +20 100 006 6752 for advice and support; both work around the clock. For other warning signs, read suicide warning signs and how to help. Help is available, and a crisis can be overcome.

If you are the one trying these substances and you are reading this, know that the danger is real even if earlier times went fine, and that stopping and asking for help are possible now. Talk to an adult you trust, or call the hotline of Egypt's Fund for Drug Control and Treatment of Addiction on 16023, around the clock, for confidential treatment. Recovery is possible, as Cleveland Clinic stresses. And if you feel chest pain or shortness of breath after inhaling, call an ambulance on 123 at once and don't stay alone.

Inhalant abuse treatment: how are children and teenagers helped?

There is no medicine that reverses the effects of inhalants, so treatment starts with a full medical assessment that checks the heart, liver, kidneys and nerves, and then continues with psychological and family therapy. Cleveland Clinic and the MSD Manual describe the parts of treatment as follows:

• Treating any physical damage, and monitoring the brain and nerves.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy to learn safe ways of dealing with cravings and stress.
• Motivational sessions that help the teenager decide to change for themselves.
• Family counseling to improve communication at home, because the family is a key partner in treatment.
• Alternative activities and support groups that build new friendships away from substances, along with treatment of any mental health problem that comes with it.
• Residential treatment, which may be the best fit in severe cases.

The MSD Manual notes that relapse is common, so families need patience and long-term follow-up. But Cleveland Clinic stresses that people with this problem can recover and lead full lives, and that asking for help is the most important step.