Accidental Deaths Due to Inhalant Misuse in North Carolina: 2000-2008

This study describes the number and characteristics of accidental deaths associated with recreational inhalant misuse in North Carolina from 2000 to 2008. Inhalant-related deaths were identified via an electronic search of records of the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Thirty deaths were attributed to recreational inhalant use, and nearly a third involved the inhalation of compressed-air products. Polydrug use and comorbid psychiatric disorders were common among decedents. The types of inhalants most often resulting in death differed from previous studies, as did the somewhat older mean age of decedents. Further research on inhalant-related mortality is warranted.