Erowid - Honest Global Drug Information
A Lingering Taste
Inhalants: Gasoline
Citation:   Elenor. "A Lingering Taste: An Experience with Inhalants: Gasoline (exp674)". Erowid.org. Sep 11, 2000. erowid.org/exp/674

 
DOSE:
  inhaled Inhalants (gas)
BODY WEIGHT: 113 lb
[Erowid Note: Our understanding of the literature is that there is no such thing as safe recreational use of volatile solvents, aerosols and other street inhalants : their psychoactive effects are inseparable from nerve and organ damage. We have chosen to include these reports to help document the real world use of inhalants, but their inclusion is not intended to imply that they are anything but dangerous.]
Before i begin my experience i feel i should state just how lucky i am to be alive. i spent 6 or so months inhaling. Inhaling became a daily routine, for me it was an escape, an addiction, and easy access. I would inhale with friends, i would do it alone. Though it's a lot scareier alone, and strongly cautioned against. I liked the feelings it gave me and the strange images i saw. At the time it felt so great (though i was constantly in a daze, unaware of my surroundings and low on energy) As i look back on the many hours i spent inhaling spray paint and gasoline, i wonder why i never slipped into a coma, but i am happy for staying as sane as i did. The worst experience i had was late one night when my friends and i huffed gasoline (straight from the gas can). It took about a minute of constant huffing to get a real buzz and only a few minutes later to have your whole perception changed. Colors became brighter and more beautiful, and for me music became much louder. With four of us and only two gas cans we had to take turns huffing. The hours passed by quickly and were interrupted by many halucinations, i remember distinctly becoming numb in my fingers and as a i crawled across the floor on my hands and belly i was constantly repeating 'i'm walking on my toes.. look at me i'm walking on my toes...' the night continued on with strange occurrances, shrill screams, crying, paranoia, exoctic dances and the constant need to inhale more. The night ended after cold showers (with more deathly screams, paranoia, and most importantly scarred fingers). The gasoline slowed my awareness, reaction time, and killed my sense of everything. My friend threatened us with a knife that night and i (highly intoxicated) grabbed the knife (morelike grabbed the blade) with my bare hand. This act sliced three of my fingers open, and at the time i didn't even know i was bleeding until my friend had said 'oh my god you're bleeding!'. Even after i knew that i simply ignored it and cowered to the floor, and i was dragged to the bathroom.

Yes i have regrets on inhaling. Though i can not lie and say it wasn't also trippy and great, but the negative effects weigh down the positives. First of all it has been 2 years after my last gasoline inhaling and i still have to fight the constant need to inhale. The worst part of inhaling gasoline for me is not the bad trips, but the way the gasoline lingers in your hair, clothes and body. It takes about a whole day to be rid of the gasoline taste. Even if you've been inhaling for a short time (such as 6 months) you may find that gas stations make you quesy in a matter of seconds. Strong scents such as gasoline, amonia, and spray paint, now only take a few seconds to cloud my mind and give me headaches. I've noticed that of the four people i was with that night i am the only one who is now without glasses (seeing how they each obtained poor eyesight shortly after inhaling) Now my asthma has increased, my memory has been cut down, and inside of me is a constant cloudiness. Inhaling is very dangerous, and if i had known the effects then, i certainly wouldn't have jumped to the gas can. I can only recall bits and pieces of my inhalant experiences, and most of it seems like a dream but the white scars on my fingers prove how real and scary inhalants can be.

Exp Year: 2000ExpID: 674
Gender: Not Specified 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Sep 11, 2000Views: 33,440
[ View PDF (to print) ] [ View LaTeX (for geeks) ] [ Swap Dark/Light ]
Inhalants (29) : Various (28), Post Trip Problems (8), Health Problems (27), Retrospective / Summary (11)

COPYRIGHTS: All reports copyright Erowid.
No AI Training use allowed without written permission.
TERMS OF USE: By accessing this page, you agree not to download, analyze, distill, reuse, digest, or feed into any AI-type system the report data without first contacting Erowid Center and receiving written permission.

Experience Reports are the writings and opinions of the authors who submit them. Some of the activities described are dangerous and/or illegal and none are recommended by Erowid Center.


Experience Vaults Index Full List of Substances Search Submit Report User Settings About Main Psychoactive Vaults