Inhalants can be breathed in through the nose or the mouth in a variety of ways, such as:
- Sniffing or "snorting" fumes from containers
- Spraying aerosols directly into the nose or mouth
- "Bagging," which involves sniffing or inhaling fumes from substances sprayed or deposited inside a plastic or paper bag
- "Huffing" from an inhalant-soaked rag stuffed in the mouth
- Inhaling from balloons filled with nitrous oxide
Because intoxication lasts only a few minutes, abusers frequently try to prolong the high by continuing to inhale repeatedly over the course of several hours, a very dangerous practice.