sodium chloride

Dear  doc, My son went into a detox yesterday, and today I found liq. sodium chloride, what was that for?
many thanks,

[J T Junig, MD PhD]

It is essentially saltwater, but the medical term is 'sterile saline solution.  My guess is that he was using it to dissolve drugs for injection;  addicts will use saline solution instead of water as it is easier on the veins, and poses less risk of introducing infection during injection.    I have also seen addicts to powdered cocaine (back in the old days) use sterile saline solution to flush their nasal passages after a night of partying, to clear out the accumulated crud and to get one last morning high.