Certo. Ecco la traduzione in inglese, mantenendo il registro informativo e la struttura del testo.
Scrittura
They are a group of substances that are taken by inhalation. In reality, many substances are also taken by inhalation (heroin, cocaine), but for these substances inhalation is the most direct and/or the only possible method of administration. They include gaseous substances, substances that release vapors at room temperature (volatile substances), or substances delivered as mists or aerosols. Inhalation may be passive or active (inhaling inside a plastic bag wrapped around the head or pressed against the mouth/nose; inhaling mists or gases under pressure from canisters or inflated balloons, etc.).
These substances may be specifically prepared for recreational use, but they often involve the use of products intended for other purposes (paints, glues, correction fluids, refrigerants, deodorants, sprays, nail polishes, lacquers, thinners, degreasers, lighters).
The acute intoxication syndrome caused by inhalants is similar to alcohol intoxication. Extreme psychological reactions are possible, but the duration of a single episode of intoxication is short. In recreational use, the substances are typically consumed in repeated doses in order to maintain the desired effect for as long as necessary.
Use is particularly widespread among very young people, perhaps because of the low cost and the availability of these products in the home or through legal commerce (shops, supermarkets), without the fear of being identified as substance users. A historically specific use is that of nitrites as a means of facilitating sexual intercourse. Another context in which use may be “induced” is the prison environment (gas from cooking canisters or lighters, often used most effectively with bags placed around the head).
Immediate risks include sudden cardiac death and death from asphyxia (that is, insufficient oxygen pressure in the air occupying the lungs, making it impossible to replace it with external air) or suffocation (due to reduced oxygen in the air inhaled from a closed and isolated compartment such as a bag). With continued use, damage to various organs has been reported, in some respects similar to alcohol-related damage.
There is no specific treatment for inhalant dependence, a condition that is relatively uncommon in any case. Treatment should distinguish between situations of secondary abuse (used as a substitute for other unavailable substances, as may occur in prison) and primary abuse, driven by the pursuit of euphoria through various interchangeable means (as may occur in bipolar disorder).
Therefore, depending on the individual case, approaches based on different underlying mechanisms may be attempted.
| Substance Common source | Use |
| Amyl nitrite, Butyl nitrite “Poppers” | head-cleaning fluid |
| Benzene | Gasoline |
| Butane, Propane | Lighters, cosmetic sprays, paints |
| Freon | Refrigerators, propellant for nebulizers |
| Toluene, Trichloroethylene, Methylene chloride | Stain removers, degreasers, solvents, paints |
| Nitrous oxide | “Laughing gas” |
e