Aerosol abuse is more prevalent than you might think. With the advancement of aerosol technology, aerosol products have become every day, in-home products.

From hair care, to body hygiene, to cleaning products, aerosols have significantly improved quality of life and ease of maintenance for many different tasks.

Unfortunately, many people forget that aerosol products can be harmful when used inappropriately, causing them to not take the necessary precautions to properly store the products.

Aerosol Abuse

When a young child or a teenager acquires an aerosol product, he or she may play with the product and accidentally inhale the contents. In some cases, the child or teen could simply be playing and not intentionally trying to induce a drug-related reaction to the contents of the aerosol can. In others, the teenagers or children might be looking to experiment with substance abuse.

When teens start to experiment with the ideas of substance abuse, it is rare that they jump straight to the illegal, hard substances such as cocaine or heroin. Typically, teens are much more likely to start abusing legal and easy to find products around the house. Aerosols are common targets for substance abuse beginners as they contain chemicals that – when inappropriately used – can be released and alter the mind of the abuser.

The Products in Aerosols

There are several different poisonous chemicals that are used to create aerosol products. Although these products are not releasable when the product is used correctly, they can escape when someone intentionally abuses the product. When children and teens start aerosol abuse, it is highly likely that their brain development will be negatively affected.

Aerosols contain pressurized substances that help expel the contents of the product. The pressurized substance in the product contains several commonly abused compounds including: Haloalkanes. For more information on Haloalkanes and their effects, visit the CDC site.

Risks in Aerosol Abuse

When aerosols are used properly, the risk of being harmed by the contents of the product is almost non-existent. However, long-term abuse of aerosol products and other typical home cleaning products – including flame retardants, lighter fuels, refrigerants, spray paints, and adhesives – can result in the deterioration of the nervous system and internal organ failure.

After initially abusing aerosols, one might feel dizzy, agitated, and confused, or experience poor motor coordination. After long term abuse, one could become addicted and experience learning delays and problem solving difficulties, in addition to emotional and physical instability.

If you or someone you know is abusing or thinking about abusing aerosol products or other in-home objects, don’t hesitate to get help.

There are many different ways to help you or your friend/family member realize how harmful these products are to long-term motor and mental skills.