Gasoline 181Development of dependence with gasoline is indicated by a withdrawal
syndrome: dry mouth, watery eyes, sleeping difficulty, peevishness, problems
in moving arms and legs.
Drug Interactions.Not enough scientific information to report.
Cancer.Some types of DNA damage indicate cancer-causing potential, and
evidence of DNA damage has been detected in persons with workplace ex-
posure to gasoline fumes. A large study examining medical records of 19,000
automobile service station attendants through a 20-year period found higher-
than-normal rates of cancer in the nose, throat, lungs, and kidneys. Gasoline
vapor is suspected of causing acute myeloid leukemia. Gasoline fumes cause
cancer in animal experiments.
Pregnancy.Infants born to women who were recreational gasoline inhalers
during pregnancy may exhibit improper muscle tension, head deformities,
mental retardation, and other deficiencies, leading some researchers to suspect
that gasoline causes birth defects.
Additional scientific information may be found in:
Beckmann, G., and G. Hauck. “Tod durch ‘Harakiri’ oder Benzindampfe? [Death due
to ‘Harakiri’ or Gasoline Fumes?]”Archiv fu ̈ r Kriminologie154 (1974): 77–82.
Edminster, S.C., and M.J. Bayer. “Recreational Gasoline Sniffing: Acute Gasoline Intox-
ication and Latent Organolead Poisoning. Case Reports and Literature Review.”
Journal of Emergency Medicine3 (1985): 365–70.
Maruff, P., et al. “Neurological and Cognitive Abnormalities Associated with Chronic
Petrol Sniffing.”Brain121 (1998): 1903–17.
Nurcombe, B., et al. “A Hunger for Stimuli: The Psychosocial Background of Petrol
Inhalation.”British Journal of Medical Psychology43 (1970): 367–74.
Poklis, A., and C.D. Burkett. “Gasoline Sniffing: A Review.”Clinical Toxicology 11
(1977): 35–41.
Seshia, S.S., et al. “The Neurological Manifestations of Chronic Inhalation of Leaded
Gasoline.”Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology20 (1978): 323–34.
Tolan, E.J., and F.A. Lingl. “ ‘Model Psychosis’ Produced by Inhalation of Gasoline
Fumes.”American Journal of Psychiatry120 (1964): 757–761.
Valpey, R., et al. “Acute and Chronic Progressive Encephalopathy Due to Gasoline
Sniffing.”Neurology28 (1978): 507–10.