Chloroethane
Chloroethane (also known as ethyl chloride, or spray poppers, and under various trade names such as Maximum Impact® and Black Max®) is a volatile organic solvent which produces rapid-onset intoxication when its vapors are inhaled. It is toxic and lethal in high concentrations.
| Other names | Ethyl chloride, spray poppers |
|---|---|
| Health risk | High |
| Addiction risk | Moderate |
| Legal risk | Mild |
| External links | PsychonautWiki Erowid |
Background
Medical uses
Chloroethane was previously used as an inhalational anesthetic to produce general anesthesia. However, its flammability, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics have led to it being replaced by more modern agents such as sevoflurane. It is still sometimes used as a local anesthetic due to the chilling effect produced by topical evaporation.
Mechanism of action
Chloroethane is thought to produce intoxication primarily through GABA receptor agonism, similar to other volatile anesthetics.
Appeal
Dosing
Risks
Chloroethane is a central nervous system depressant, and its effects are dependent on dosing. In low doses, it causes effects similar to alcohol intoxication. In higher doses, it causes shallow breathing and loss of consciousness, eventually progressing to cessation of breathing and death. It may cause vomiting, and in combination of unconsciousness may cause aspiration of vomit.
Interactions
Addiction
Risk mitigation
Known incidents
There are several documented cases of ethyl chloride fatalities in scientific literature, see for example [1], [2], [3] and [4].
References
- ↑ Broussard, L. A.; Broussard, A. K.; Pittman, T. S.; Lirette, D. K. (2000-01). "Death due to inhalation of ethyl chloride". Journal of Forensic Sciences. 45 (1): 223–225. ISSN 0022-1198. PMID 10641945.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ Yacoub, I.; Robinson, C. A.; Simmons, G. T.; Hall, M. (1993-10). "Death attributed to ethyl chloride". Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 17 (6): 384–385. doi:10.1093/jat/17.6.384. ISSN 0146-4760. PMID 8271788.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ Pascali, Jennifer P.; Fais, Paolo; Viel, Guido; Cecchetto, Giovanni; Montisci, Massimo (2019-06-11). "Is old stuff back? A fatal case of ethyl chloride sniffing". Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences. 9 (1): 29. doi:10.1186/s41935-019-0136-4. ISSN 2090-5939.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ↑ Masakazu, O. Y. A.; Yoichi, Mitsukuni (2004). "A Fatal Case of Ethyl Chloride Sniffing Using Head-Cleaning Spray". 山梨医科学雑誌. 19 (4): 117–121. doi:10.34429/00002896.