Amyl Nitrite - Treatment for Habitual Users

Treatment for Habitual Users

"We really don't know exactly why the nitrites have the mental effects that make them attractive for people to use," explained Cynthia Kuhn and her coauthors in the 2003 edition of Buzzed: The Straight Facts about the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy. Nitrites, in fact, are not considered addictive substances. The biggest problem for amyl nitrite abusers stems from their tendency to combine it with other drugs. Habitual nitrite sniffers are likely to benefit from drug dependency treatment programs, including counseling.

Education and knowledge regarding the dangers of inhaling nitrites is a key to preventing their use. Studies show that most youths who try drugs do so because of peer pressure. Therefore, it is important that young people not only resist the pressure, but try to persuade friends who are using amyl nitrite—or abusing any drug—to get help.

Jail Time or Anti-Drug Treatment?

In 2000, California voters approved Proposition 36, also known as the Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act. Proposition 36, which took effect on July 1, 2001, allows state courts to sentence first- and second-time drug-use offenders to probation and drug abuse treatment programs rather than jail time. Treatment can include outpatient care, inpatient treatment at a halfway house, psychotherapy, and drug education and prevention classes. This law applies to persons convicted of possession of amyl nitrite without a prescription. Its goal is to reduce repeat drug use.

A follow-up study on the success of Proposition 36 was conducted by the University of California at Los Angeles. According to a press release dated September 23, 2004, "California's groundbreaking 'drug treatment instead of incarceration"' program produced "excellent results in its first two years of implementation." More than 66,000 people entered the program, saving the state hundreds of millions of dollars in incarceration costs. Proposition 36 could become a model for other states to follow in the ongoing fight against drug abuse.