Inhalants - Classification

Classification

Inhalants can be classified by the intended function. Most inhalant drugs that are used non-medically are ingredients in household or industrial chemical products that are not intended to be concentrated and inhaled. A small number of recreational inhalant drugs are pharmaceutical products that are used illicitly.

Inhalants can also be classified by chemical structure. Classes include:

Category ICD-10 Examples Example image
aliphatic hydrocarbons T52.0 petroleum products (gasoline and kerosene), propane, butane
aromatic hydrocarbons T52.1-T52.2 toluene, xylene
ketones T52.4 acetone (nail polish remover)
haloalkanes T53 hydrofluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbon, trichloroethylene, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane (including many aerosols and propellants)
nitrites T59.0, T65.3, T65.5 alkyl nitrites (poppers such as amyl nitrite), nitrous oxide

It is also possible to classify inhalants by the effect they have on the body. Many inhalants act primarily as asphyxiant gases, with their primary effect due to oxygen deprivation. Other agents may have more direct effects at receptors.

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