Many solvents can lead to a sudden loss of consciousness if inhaled in large amounts. Solvents like diethyl ether and chloroform have been used in medicine as anesthetics, sedatives, and hypnotics for a long time. Many solvents (e.g. from gasoline or solvent-based glues) are abused recreationally in glue sniffing, often with harmful long-term health effects such as neurotoxicity or cancer.  Fraudulent substitution of 1,5-pentanediol by the psychoactive 1,4-butanediol by a subcontractor caused the Bindeez product recall.
Ethanol (grain alcohol) is a widely used and abused psychoactive drug. If ingested, the so-called "toxic alcohols" (other than ethanol) such as methanol, 1-propanol, and ethylene glycol metabolize into toxic aldehydes and acids, which cause potentially fatal metabolic acidosis. The commonly available alcohol solvent methanol can cause permanent blindness or death if ingested. The solvent 2-butoxyethanol, used in fracking fluids, can cause hypotension and metabolic acidosis.