Addiction Of Petrol Smell - Treatment, Symptoms and Causes

Sniffing Gasoline otherwise known as sniffing petrol is an inhalant abuse. When you inhale the petrol, it leads to intoxication. A lot of people relate this abuse to poverty. Australia is one of the places where this addiction is far spreading and has become a matter of concern for their citizens. Sniffing petrol can be lethal to health and can also lead to death. When you sniff petrol, it depresses the central nervous system and you end up in the same state as alcohol intoxication. This contains lead which leads to hallucinations. Even unleaded petrol contains traces of lead.

The effects of smelling petrol can easily affect the brain as the fumes travel in less than a minute’s time and the effect does not take more than 5 minutes to act upon. This leads to the slowing of reactions from the brain and this can be hazardous if the person is driving a car. The effects of sniffing petrol can last up to an hour. It is highly possible to die of petrol smelling. There have a been a few incidences around the world where people have smelled petrol and exercised after have died due to lack of oxygen reaching the brain.

Sniffing petrol is an easy way to run away from your problems. People sometimes, sniff petrol to relieve boredom. Petrol sniffing is becoming common because petrol is something that is readily available and can be found at any petrol pump. Petrol is also cheaper than drugs. Peer pressure plays a major role as well in this, because kids nowadays are given vehicles and this leads to them having access to petrol, and this leads to experimentation which later becomes an addiction for them and they are unable to stop this. Petrol sniffing is seen to be as hazardous as glue sniffing and this is taking a toll on people on the whole. Poor people also can get access to petrol and use it to get involved with petrol sniffing and getting high on the fumes. Petrol sniffing doesn’t require ay quick mechanism to take it, which makes it easier to do.

Exposure to petrol sniffing can do a serious damage to your lungs and can also cause toxic poisoning in the body. Sniffing petrol can cause a major harm to all the organs apart from lungs and this can make it worse. Petrol sniffing is becoming more and more prevalent everywhere now as more and more people are doing it everywhere and it needs to be stopped permanently. There are various signs and symptoms which show if a person is into petrol sniffing: -

• difficulty breathing
• throat pain or burning
• burning in the esophagus
• abdominal pain
• vision loss
• vomiting with or without blood
• bloody stools
• dizziness
• severe headaches
• extreme fatigue
• convulsions
• body weakness
• loss of consciousness

There are several initiatives taken to help people with this problem of sniffing petrol. There are rehab facilities for such people suffering through it and special care is taken to help them get over this problem. They are completely isolated from petrol and then they are kept away from it for a few days. The major causes of petrol sniffing have been highlighted as poverty and also peer pressure, these are considered as root causes. Awareness needs to be spread with regard to this problem people are facing and this can help young people to not get into this habit. Petrol pumps also need to take measures so that these people are not harmed and should make strict rules on giving petrol in bottles and cans.

In efforts to reduce this epidemic of petrol smelling addiction of people. There has been a launch of non-sniffable petrol called Opal which contains almost no lead at all and also contains very less aromatic hydrocarbons. This petrol has specially been designed for people to fight this petrol sniffing issue that is taking place in their countries. This fuel since it contains no smell has helped people overcome their addiction to petrol sniffing. However opal has been majorly criticised for being expensive and not being suitable for most countries and it has also been a big expensive investment altogether. Countries need to also come up with strict rules with providing petrol to the public.

Withdrawal symptoms with sniffing petrol is not as bad as many other kinds of addictions. These symptoms are similarly related to alcohol addiction symptoms and these can permanently disappear after one has overcome their addiction to it. These withdrawal symptoms are psychological to a certain extend but can be controlled with the right kind off assistance and guidance to overcome it. These withdrawal symptoms are common and are bound to happen due to a psychological impact. The symptoms are: -