Sniffing of ethyl chloride--an uncommon form of abuse with serious mental and neurological symptoms.

Abuse of ethyl chloride is a problem which has previously been almost unknown in Sweden. Confusion, hallucinosis, ataxia, and pronounced impairment of short-term memory--all of a transient nature--and a prolonged and uncharacteristic course of abstinence reactions are some of the symptoms that occur on sniffing of ethyl chloride. The course of events in one such case is described. The authors request that references to this article outside the professional press should not be made in such a way as to facilitate abuse.