High in a Can

Action 3 News from Omaha, Nebraska covered a story yesterday that highlights inhalant use in teenagers and profiles a teenage boy who had abused dusters in the past. According to the story,

The teen we spoke with is no longer dusting. After three hits, he says he's afraid of what could happen. But he says there are still cans at some of the parties he goes to and there's no stopping his friends.

Parents should take note of the fact that controlling or even banning dusters and other inhalants in the house doesn't mean that your child will not be pressured to use them in other situations.

A common misconception is that computer dusters are nothing but compressed air, when actually they work using a chemical called difluoroethane that when inhaled can replace the oxygen that your brain needs. This is what produces the high, but it can be very dangerous.