Inhalant Abuse Rises Among Military Personnel
The US military is filled with men and women who place their lives in jeopardy for the sake of their country. Military personnel work hard, often in spite of the day-to-day luxuries non-military citizens take for granted. Running water, the ability to shop, a plate of warm pancakes -military personnel cherish these pleasures upon return home from active duty more than ever.
Despite the military’s superb daily efforts to protect the country, they are human beings too. The stress of war leads some military personnel to reach for something external as a source of relief. Since illicit drugs are banned from military grounds, inhalants are frequently used to create a high. Mainstream media venues boast very limited documentation on the subject of inhalant abuse within the military. The US military’s handbook entitled Health Behaviors of Our Troops includes three chapters on substance abuse. However, none of these chapters mention inhalants and the dangers they entail.
Military personnel turn to inhalants not only because they do not show up in drug tests, but because they are also inexpensive and accessible. Nearly any drug or grocery store sells at least one type of household inhalant. In the middle east, for example, the combat zone is in a dry area. Alcohol is banned from surrounding regions. Products conducive to huffing, such as Dust-Off, are prevalent due to the high volume of sand within the premises. Thus, the tendency for military personnel to reach for inhalants is increased tenfold.
Huffing is the term that refers to an individual inhaling vapors and gas from aerosol products. Aerosol products include whipped cream, Febreeze, or Computer-Duster.
The vapors from huffing replace the body’s natural source of oxygen. Thus, the brain is temporarily deprived of oxygen, creating a combination of symptoms such as:
- Lightheadedness
- Euphoria
- Drowsiness
- Disorientation and sensations of dissociation
- Lowered inhibitions
- Excitement
Symptoms do not last very long, but they can be profound and potentially addictive. Huffing is dangerous on a number of levels. For one, 30 percent of individuals who huff chemicals, die instantly as a consequence of oxygen depletion. Others risk serious damage to their health, particularly dangerous for long-term inhalant abusers. Health risks from huffing include:
- Muscle depletion and weakness
- Weight loss
- Permanent organ damage
- Convulsions or seizures
- Heart failure and heart damage
- Brain damage, which can contribute to personality changes, comprised cognitive abilities, and memory impairment
- Liver failure
- Death
Military personnel incurring negative ramifications to their health compromise their ability to be emotionally present. Trying times call for a sharp mind. When a soldier is abusing inhalants, he can be held back by apathy and impairment of motor coordination in light of a crisis.
In the event of an inhalant addiction, military personnel are exceptionally compromised to fulfill their duties in active service. Addicts go to any lengths to seek out and use inhalants — despite physical, legal, and emotional ramifications. A military service member with an addiction prioritizes inhalant use above and beyond all other obligations. His peers, his officers, and his constituents will lose faith in him over time. His capacity in which to serve the country will be jeopardized. Barring treatment for his addiction, he will continue to compulsively huff chemicals, or die from Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. The fact that service members can fall privy to an addiction illustrates the insidious nature of addiction, and the way in which it crosses boundaries of age, race, employment, and ethnicity.
