Parents Whose Child Died by Inhalant Abuse Educational Video. Inhalant use by 12 and 13 year olds is a marker for future drug use and delinquent behavior, according to a new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), released today at a press conference by the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition to kick off National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week. Speaker: Jeanette and James Smith, parents of a student who died from inhalant use in Ohio. Inhalants affect your brain. Inhalants are substances or fumes from products such as glue or paint thinner that are sniffed or “huffed” to cause an immediate high. Because they affect your brain with much greater speed and force than many other substances, they can cause irreversible physical and mental damage before you know what’s happened. Inhalants affect your heart. Inhalants starve the body of oxygen and force the heart to beat irregularly and more rapidly–that can be dangerous for your body. Inhalants damage other parts of your body. People who use inhalants can experience nausea and nosebleeds; develop liver, lung, and kidney problems; and lose their sense of hearing or smell. Chronic use can lead to muscle wasting and reduced muscle tone and strength. Inhalants can cause sudden death. Inhalants can kill you instantly. Inhalant users can die by suffocation, choking on their vomit, or having a heart attack. How can you tell if a friend is using inhalants? Sometimes it’s tough to tell …