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Mthandazo Ndlovu
When you take a stroll around the city especially Bulawayo where l am based, you will find groups of youths, that have turned themselves into vagabonds, turning the street corridors into their dwelling places, and at most with a 500ml plastic pouch of milk.
Interestingly there wona��t be milk inside and you see these youths huffing and puffing on the contents that are in there. I thought this was a Bulawayo thing until l took a night drive to the capital two weeks ago.
As l passed through the towns, l observed a similar group of youths and similarities of the huffing and puffing, l then inquired from one of the young men whom l found huffing and puffing in the Midlands province around one in the morning, if he could not wait till the next morning to have his stuff and his response was a�?l now have to do this maybe six times during the night because if l dona��t l just get irritable.a�?
I noted that there were empty glue containers, and also thinners-labelled bottles, and the young in his intoxicated stupor, told me they sniffed the glue and inhaled the thinners so that they could relieve stress and forget what was happening around them.
I then asked him if he knew the danger associated with the abuse of such substances, he said they were safe since there was no law that forbids the sniffing and inhaling of these. When l went back to the City of Kings I was given an almost similar response but here is the truth about inhalants.
Inhalants refers to the vapours from toxic substances which are inhaled to reach a quick high. These produce effects similar to anaesthetics, which slow down the bodya��s function. After an initial high and loss of inhibition comes drowsiness, light headedness and agitation.
The chemicals are rapidly absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream and quickly reach the brain and other organs, sometimes causing irreversible physical and mental damage.
Some various household products are also often abused. These are: shoe polish , glue, spray paint, correction fluid, lacquer thinners, paint solvents, lighter fluid, gasoline, nail polish and many others.
Users inhale the chemical vapours directly from open containers (sniffing) or breathe fumes from rags soaked in chemicals (huffing).
Some spray the substance directly into the nose or mouth, or pour it onto their collar, sleeves or cuffs and sniff them periodically. In a�?bagginga�? which is the common mode here, the user may inhale fumes from substances inside a paper or plastic bag. When bagging is done in a closed area, it greatly increases the chances of suffocation.
Some users of these substances have huffed and puffed themselves to death, or deformity or insanity as vital organs are destroyed in the process, ignorance and unavailability of help centres have made the society vulnerable to inhalants abuse.
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derick.khumalo