Some people choose to insufflate, or snort, psychoactive substances because it causes them to affect the person faster. When a drug is snorted, the drugs are absorbed through mucous membranes in the nose and enter into the bloodstream without being broken down by the stomach. The result is a stronger and faster high, albeit a much more dangerous route of administration. When a drug is snorted, it causes a great amount of damage to the body and strongly increases the chance of an overdose. It isn’t always the drugs that cause the most amount of harm, but the other substances in the drugs. Mahita Gajanan, in a 2017 TIME Health article entitled It’s Not Just Chocolate Powder. You Shouldn’t Be Snorting Anything, Doctors Say, explains, “it’s extra stuff added to the drugs that do the real nasal harm. A person who often snorts something like cocaine can get holes in their septum or crusted skin inside their nasal passage, often because of a powdered material that is added to the drug.” There have even been cases of nasopharyngeal necrosis and severe tissue destruction as a result of insufflating oxycodone. There is also a marked increase in the risk of overdose from snorting oxycodone. Charlie Osborne, in a 2017 Livestrong article entitled What Are the Dangers of Snorting Oxycodone, explains, “With extended-release formulations–designed to slowly release the drug through oral administration over many hours–this allows dangerous, often lethal amounts of the narcotic to hit the brain at once.” The drug is rapidly absorbed by the nasal mucous membranes and cal result in an overdose characterised by clammy skin, unconsciousness, blue lips, lowered blood pressure, reduced heart rate, respiratory failure, and even death. Over time, snorting drugs can cause severe damage to the respiratory system. Dr. Elizabeth Hartney, in a 2018 Verywell Mind article entitled Why Is Snorting Drugs Dangerous, explains, “The nasal membranes are extremely delicate and easily damaged. As these get damaged, they stop being able to function normally, inhibiting normal respiratory actions. Other side effects of snorting drugs include vomiting, constipation, shakiness, dizziness and increased heart rate.” Insufflation is extremely dangerous and makes one more susceptible to severe health problems as well as addiction.
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