An inquest was held this week into the death of Sarah Mescall, a previously healthy 14-year-old from Kilnamona, Co Clare, who died after inhaling from a deodorant can. Labelled a misadventure by Dublin district coroner Dr Crona Gallagher, the case will concern parents.
The inquest heard Sarah had been a happy and healthy teenager and the occasion “may well have been the first time” she had inhaled deodorant.
Q: How dangerous are inhalants?
Inhalants are chemical vapours from extremely poisonous chemicals that can cause death by triggering a rapid, irregular heartbeat. This is called sudden sniffing death syndrome.
A healthy young person can die from one single sniffing session. This is particularly true for the inhalants butane, propane and aerosol chemicals.
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Q: What other effects can they cause?
Breathing in the substance can make people feel less inhibited and less in control. A person may feel dazed, dizzy and have trouble walking. This may only last a few minutes but more severe reactions are possible.
When a person uses an inhalant, toxic chemicals enter the lungs. These chemicals pass from the bloodstream into the brain where they can damage and kill brain cells. A person can stop breathing because of a lack of oxygen. Inhalants can cause the heart to beat very fast and irregularly and then suddenly stop beating.
Inhaling can cause headaches, nausea and vomiting. Users can be moody and aggressive or think that they see things that are not there. Stronger chemicals or repeated inhaling can cause people to pass out. Over time, inhalants can cause serious and permanent damage to vital organs like the brain, kidneys, heart and liver.
Q: What are the warning signs of possible inhalant abuse?
Someone who is using inhalants may show all or some of the following warning signs:
- Looking or acting drunk, dazed, or dizzy
- Slurred or confused speech
- Trouble walking, off-balance or uncoordinated
- Red or runny eyes and nose, nosebleeds
- “Huffer’s rash” – spots and/or sores around the mouth
- Breath that smells like chemicals
- Stains from paint, glitter and/or chemical smell on skin or clothing
- Nausea and loss of appetite
- Confusion, moodiness, irritability
- Anxiety or excitability
- Many absences from school or work
Q: Can effects be predicted?
There is no way to predict how much of an inhalant will kill a person.
Someone could use a certain amount one time and seem fine, but the next use could cause death.
