Is sniffing or eating moth balls dangerous?

Its dumb! Put it like that.

Extremely dangerous, in some instances fatal. Mothballs consist of 100% Naphthalene or a form of Benzene. Inhalation of vapors causes headaches, respiratory distress, eye irritation and many other symptoms. Ingestion causes toxic poisoning leading to liver damage,respiratory failure, seizures, heart arrhythmia, and the possibility of death.

The chemical in mothballs that gives it that fruity scent is paradichlorobenzene, I'm sure "benzene" sounds familiar. If you're sniffing mothballs because it makes you dizzy, you should stop because the closest thing to a high that paradichlorobenzene can provide is a nasty headache.

Repeated inhalation of fumes or ingestion of a few mothballs can be fatal. Especially, for children, elderly people, pets and indirectly for fetuses.

As stated above the purpose of both chemicals is to kill moths and moth larvae with the fumes. Both naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene sublimate, meaning they transition from a solid state to a gas. The gas is toxic to moths. And to humans under conditions of extended exposure, especially children.

For either of these chemicals to be effective, they need to be placed with the clothing in a sealed container so the fumes can build up and kill the moths. In a sealed atmosphere like that, the fumes are not harmful to people because they are contained.

The main threat to humans occurs when opening the containers, or from wearing clothes immediately after opening (especially a problem for infants). A solution is to open the containers outside and let the clothes hang and air out for a day before wearing.

A lesser threat arises with children who think the mothballs are some kind of candy. The "strange" flavor may halt their attempted eating of them, but guardians should stay alert for the possible symptoms of poisoning. You can contact the National Poison Control Center, 1-800-222-1222.

A less toxic alternative is cedar blocks, shavings or oil. The blocks are expensive, but cedar shavings in the form of hamster bedding can be very inexpensive. Cedar-lined chests and closets do the same job. Again, the clothes container needs to be closed in order for the cedar scent to have a real effect on moths.­