Can markers cause my teen to get high? She said that smelling a marker is harmless.?

Question

What could be harmful to her?

What else could she do to get high?

What else could she do to get high & how do you know she is doing it?

Answer 1

YES it is commonly called HUFFING.

Permanant Markers
White Out
Nail Polish & Remover
Spray Paint
Paint Thinner

Death comes to mind!

Most parents, even those who talk with their children about drug abuse, never warn children about inhalants nor look for signs that their kids might be huffing, he said. The signs include:

Missing household products or empty containers.

Rags or bags that smell of chemicals.

Paint on a teen-agers face or fingers or chemical smells on their clothing.

Loss of balance, slurred speech, red eyes or nose, irritability, nausea, loss of appetite, sores around the mouth.


"Huffing," or inhaling volatile substances, is becoming increasingly popular among children, especially among 12- to 14-year-olds (Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 1998;152(8):781--786).

Huffing can kill the very first time children experiment with it.

Alarmingly, about 20% of eighth-graders report having done it (International Journal of Addiction, 1993;28:1613--1621).

Besides sudden cardiac arrest (the most common cause of death from inhalants), huffing can kill quickly in a number of other ways. Motor vehicle accidents, falls, and other traumatic injuries are common and horrible. Others die from suffocation, burns, suicide (from the depression that can follow the high), and from choking--on their own vomit.

About 22% of those who die from huffing do so the first time they try it (Human Toxicology, 1989;8:261--269).

When huffing doesn't kill quickly, it damages the body each time--especially the brain. Huffing can cause memory loss, impaired concentration, hearing loss, loss of coordination, and permanent brain damage. Chronic use can cause permanent heart, lung, liver, and kidney damage as well.

Solvents (found in glues, paints, and polishes), fuels (such as butane), nitrites (found in deodorizers), and almost any kind of aerosol spray can be responsible.

Most huffing takes place with friends (although kids who sniff correction fluid in class when their teachers turn away are not uncommon). Be observant of your child and his or her friends.

Inhalants gradually leave the body for 2 weeks following huffing--mostly through exhaling. The characteristic odor is the biggest clue. Be on the lookout for breath or clothing that smells like chemicals. Look for clothing stains. Watch for spots or sores around the mouth.

Nausea, lack of appetite, weight loss, nervousness, restlessness, and outbursts of anger can all be signs of inhalant abuse. A drunk, dazed, or glassy-eyed appearance might mean your child is abusing inhalants right now.

If you suspect or discover that you child is huffing, get professional help. Treating inhalant abuse is very difficult and requires expert intervention. Withdrawal symptoms may last for weeks. The relapse rate without a long-term (2-year) program is very high.

Preventing huffing is far better than trying to treat an inhalant addiction. Talking with your child about it is more powerful than anything else (NIDA Research Monograph, 1988;85:8--29).

Start talking with your child about it now. Although huffing peaks between the ages of 12 and 15 years, it often starts "innocently" in children only 6 to 8 years old (Pediatrics, 1996;97:3).

Literally thousands of easily available substances can be inhaled, so you can't keep your child away from them. You can, however, educate and inspire.

Answer 2

Though there are some markers that are made to be smelled (the scented ones) they are not meant to be used as an inhalant. It is dangerous to smell a marker. It is also dangerous to smell glue, spray cans of any sort and that includes the ones with air in them for your computer, and just about anything else that has toxic (even mildly toxic) chemicals in them. Inhalants are a huge problem today and kids have been known to die from them. A simple marker may not be a killer but it sure doesn't help and it can lead to other things. She should be careful about smelling them. I do not know how high she could get from them but I do know that it's not helping her brain cells.

Check out the site Honey. It's about Inhalants and what parents should watch out for.

Answer 3

Yes, markers can cause your teen to get high. From the below listed source:
"Inhalant use refers to the intentional breathing of gas or vapors with the purpose of reaching a high. Inhalants are legal, everyday products which have a useful purpose, but can be misused. You're probably familiar with many of these substances -- paint, glue and others. But you probably don't know that there are more than 1,000 products that are very dangerous when inhaled -- things like typewriter correction fluid, air-conditioning refrigerant, felt tip markers, spray paint, air freshener, butane and even cooking spray."
"Nearly all abused products produce effects similar to anesthetics, which slow down the body's function. Varying upon level of dosage, the user can experience slight stimulation, feeling of less inhibition or loss of consciousness. The user can also suffer from Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. This means the user can die the 1st, 10th or 100th time he or she uses an inhalant. Other effects include damage to the heart, kidney, brain, liver, bone marrow and other organs. Results similar to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome may also occur when inhalants are used during pregnancy. Inhalants are physically and psychologically addicting and users suffer withdrawal symptoms."
"Inhalants are not drugs. They are poisons and toxins and should be discussed as such."

Answer 4

Depends on the markers she is smelling, but regardless she should'nt be doing it at all. She could be smoking pot, if she is then check her eyes, they would be glassy and bloodshot, what about glue or even paint? She could be huffing these as well, what you need to do because she could be doing any number of things is to either sit and talk with her or watch her alittle more closely.

Answer 5

Depends on the marker. Some markers contain substances that kill brain cells rapidly, so sniffing them will make them get high.

Also using air chemicals such as lysol can do it to. Also canned whip cream air will too.

Answer 6

If the markers have that annoying smell. Like permanent markers do.

Answer 7

Some markers definitely can get someone high, and can lead to addiction, along with causing physical and mental damage.

Answer 8

Ha! Licorice is even worst tasting than that marker smells! ECH! Maybe the orange one. I did like green. But blue is so good.

Answer 9

Yes and if she is huffing their are soooo many products out there people huff for a buzz it would be to hard to list. Problem with huffing respitory distress and brain damage may happen very quickly. Time to communicate with your daughter, LISTEN to her and see if you can convince her to get help. This is an addiction and not easy to give up, any treatment must have her consent and cooperation to be successfull.

Answer 10

If you don't let your teen find a way to get high with friends, then they will find a way without your supervision, and they will find a way to do it with harmful toxins instead of pot.
I would say that paint hacking, glue sniffing, is far greater than beer or pot. Paint and glue most surely will cause permanent damage.