When parents worry about adolescent substance use, they may picture marijuana, alcohol, prescription painkillers, or illegal drugs. They probably aren’t thinking about the can of whipped cream in the refrigerator, the aerosol deodorant in the bathroom, or the vanilla extract in the kitchen cabinet…but maybe they should be.
Teenagers have experimented with an astonishing range of ordinary household products in search of a high, from aerosol sprays, computer-cleaning products, gasoline, glue, and nail polish remover to mouthwash, hand sanitizer, cooking extracts, and even spices such as nutmeg. Part of the danger is precisely how ordinary these products seem. A teenager who would never consider trying an illegal drug may be much less cautious about something purchased at a grocery store. And unlike alcohol or illegal substances, there’s no dealer, fake ID, or suspicious purchase involved; the substance is already in the home.
Social Media Turns Experimentation Into a Trend
Thanks to social media, risky behavior that might once have spread among a few friends can now reach thousands of adolescents almost instantly, and it’s often packaged as a funny challenge rather than substance misuse.
Consider “chroming,” a term associated with inhaling fumes from aerosol products and other volatile substances to get high. Inhalants like these can produce a rapid feeling of euphoria, dizziness, or lightheadedness, but the effect is short-lived, which can encourage repeated use. Meanwhile, the chemicals can interfere with oxygen reaching the brain, affect the heart and other organs, and cause unconsciousness or death. Worst of all, sometimes it only takes one time for the consequences to be fatal.
Another example is the social media-driven “Benadryl Challenge,” which encouraged participants to take excessive amounts of the over-the-counter antihistamine diphenhydramine in an attempt to hallucinate. As the saying goes, “poison is in the dose” – large doses of diphenhydramine can cause serious heart problems, seizures, coma, and death. The FDA issued a warning after reports of teenagers requiring emergency treatment or dying after participating in the challenge.
The lesson for teens is simple but important: Something doesn’t become safe just because it’s legal, familiar, or sitting in your bathroom cabinet.
What Should Parents and Clinicians Look For?
Some warning signs of adolescent substance use are generic to all substances: sudden personality changes, disrupted sleep, declining grades, withdrawal from activities, secretive behavior, new friend groups, or neglect of responsibilities. Household-product misuse, however, may leave some unusual clues. These can include chemical smells on a teen’s clothing or breath; irritation around the mouth or nose; unexplained dizziness, nausea, confusion, or headaches; and aerosol cans, medicines, solvents, or other products disappearing unusually quickly.
The context matters. One empty can of computer duster isn’t proof that a teenager is using inhalants. Repeated missing products accompanied by behavioral or physical changes, however, deserve attention.
Mental Health Professionals Can Help Families Look Deeper
For clinicians, one of the most important steps may be simply asking the right questions. A teenager who answers “no” when asked whether they use drugs may be telling the truth as they understand it. They may not think inhaling an aerosol, taking too much cold medicine, or participating in an online challenge counts as “drug use.” Screening can therefore include direct, nonjudgmental questions about inhalants, over-the-counter medications, household products, and social media challenges.
It is equally important to ask what is happening underneath the behavior. Adolescents with substance use problems frequently struggle with depression, anxiety, trauma, impulsivity, or other mental health concerns. Experimentation may begin because of curiosity or peer pressure, but for some teens, substance use becomes a way to numb painful emotions or cope with problems they don’t know how to manage.
Approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing can help adolescents recognize triggers, examine their choices, and develop healthier coping strategies. Family therapy can help parents respond with appropriate monitoring and boundaries while keeping communication open. That communication matters – families don’t need to turn their homes into locked fortresses, but they do need to recognize that prevention has changed.
Adolescents’ brains are sponges for information, no matter where it comes from. When peer groups, marketing, and social media are the loudest and most constant voices, it’s easy for teens to assume they’re trustworthy. That’s why mental health professionals and families need to be proactive about highlighting more than just illegal drugs and alcohol – because the most dangerous substance just may be sitting under the kitchen sink.