Inhalants represent a unique category of substances misused for their psychoactive effects, distinct from controlled drugs because they are composed of common, legally available household and commercial products. These substances are volatile chemical vapors that, when intentionally breathed in, produce a rapid but short-lived intoxication. The misuse of inhalants poses a significant public health challenge in the United States. Understanding the scope of this behavior requires a close examination of national survey data.
Defining the Scope of Inhalant Use
The term “inhalants” refers to a diverse collection of products that people inhale to achieve an altered mental state. For statistical monitoring purposes, these are generally grouped into four main categories based on their chemical composition:
- Volatile solvents: Liquids that vaporize at room temperature, including items like paint thinners, gasoline, and correction fluids.
- Aerosols: Substances like spray paints, hair sprays, and deodorant sprays.
- Gases: Includes medical anesthetics like ether and chloroform, as well as butane lighters and nitrous oxide, often found in whipped cream dispensers.
- Nitrites: Such as amyl nitrite and butyl nitrite, which are sometimes used for their effects as vasodilators.
The widespread availability of these products in homes and stores contributes substantially to their accessibility, particularly for younger individuals.
Current National Prevalence Rates
National data provides a clear picture of how many people use inhalants, though this number is lower than for many other substances. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 2.6 million people aged 12 or older reported using inhalants in the past year. This figure represents 0.9% of the total population in that age bracket.
A look at lifetime use reveals a much larger number, indicating that misuse is an experience for many, even if it is not sustained. An estimated 9% of the U.S. population aged 12 and older, or approximately 22.5 million people, have used an inhalant at least once in their lives for intoxication. This substantial difference between lifetime and recent use suggests that the practice often begins early and then declines significantly with age.
Focusing on more frequent use, data from earlier NSDUH surveys showed that around 904,000 individuals aged 12 or older used inhalants in the past month. This past-month figure demonstrates the size of the current, active user population. The prevalence rate for a substance use disorder related to inhalants is much smaller than the misuse rate. In 2021, around 0.1% of people over the age of 12, equating to over 300,000 individuals, were classified as having an inhalant use disorder.
Key Demographic Trends in Usage
Analysis of the national data shows that inhalant use is predominantly concentrated among younger age groups, differentiating it from many other substances. The NSDUH data from 2023 indicates that past-year use is highest among adolescents and young adults. Specifically, 2.2% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 reported past-year inhalant use, which corresponds to an estimated 564,000 individuals.
This prevalence rate among adolescents is the highest across all age demographics. Young adults aged 18 to 25 reported a past-year use rate of 2.0%. The rate drops sharply for the adult population aged 26 or older, where only 0.6% reported past-year use. This pattern highlights that inhalants are often one of the first substances misused by young people, likely due to the easy accessibility of the products.
Historical trends show that the rate of inhalant use among adolescents has generally been declining over the past two decades. However, the continued high relative prevalence in the youngest surveyed group emphasizes the need for targeted preventative efforts at the middle school level. In terms of gender, while some older data suggests male adults have higher rates, the prevalence among youth is nearly equal for males and females. Recent data from 2023 suggests that past-year inhalant use does not significantly differ across the major racial or ethnic groups in the United States.