Free Inhalant Abuse Education

Course Overview: This course will define and discuss inhalant abuse, with particular concentration on how to recognize the manifestations of abuse.

This course is intended for nurses in all areas of healthcare, and health professionals in acute care settings.

Upon completion of this course, the learner should be able:

Define inhalants.
Identify classes and examples of inhalants.
Recognize reasons why youths are using inhalants.
Describe the characteristics of a youth likely to start using.
Recognize Inhalant research regarding gender and ethnicity.
Describe methods of Inhalation and the most frequent site of usage.
Describe the effects of inhalants on the body.
Define inhalant intoxication, withdrawal, tolerance and addiction.
Describe the assessment process.
Identify emergency treatment.
Recognize fatal and long-term consequences of Inhaling.
Correlate the relationship of Inhalant abuse and delinquent behavior.
Describe keys to prevent Inhalant abuse.

What are Inhalants?

Inhalants are breathable chemical vapors that produce psychoactive (mind-altering) effects. While we are commonly exposed to volatile solvents and other inhalants in the home and workplace, most of us are unaware that these substances can be inhaled as drugs. This is probably because most inhalants were not designed to be used that way and because normal use results in low inhaled concentration.

Inhalants are often called “Gateway Drugs” because they lead to use of other drugs, such as marijuana and methamphetamines. Sometimes the chemical itself becomes the drug of choice and is abused into adulthood. Healthcare professionals and the public generally lack awareness of the toxic effects of inhalants and do not consider that household products could be addicting.

Course is available at; http://www.rnceus.com/course_frame.asp?exam_id=47&directory=inhal