Inhalant Data: San Ramon Unified School District in CA

Via San Ramon Patch in California:

The results of the 2010 California Healthy Kids Survey were recently released. Inhalant data for San Ramon Unified School District follows below:

• 5th graders: 3% had tried inhalants
• 7th graders: 7% had tried inhalants at least once, 3% had used inhalants in the last 30 days

Turkish Teen Dies from Inhalant Abuse

Via Today’s Zaman in Turkey:

This weekend, a 15 year-old girl from Bursa died after reportedly sniffing lighter fluid to get high with friends. She had been out with friends on Friday evening and her mother had difficulty waking her up the following morning.

The article notes that lighter fluid inhalation has replaced traditional chroming agents such as spray paint and glue, which are illegal for sale to people under 18. The article also points out that this is the fourth lighter fluid related teen death this year. The others included two 15 year-olds and a 14-year old. A local physician warned that the "ingredients of lighter liquid, such as butane, mix with the blood very quickly, fatalities are frequent in such cases."

Earlier this month 10 teenagers were injured in the region after an explosion at an abandoned house where they had gathered to huff lighter fluid. Police found dozens of empty lighter canisters at the scene.

One California School Alarmed by Inhalant Data from their 5th Graders

Via LaCanadaOnline.com in California:

The results of the California Healthy Kids Survey were recently released by the La Cañada Unified School District. The results reveal frightening new data on inhalant use by county youth.

The survey showed that 11% of Palm Crest Elementary's fifth graders had used inhalants to get high. School board members were surprised and concerned. One remarked "The use of inhalants is surprising. It's one of the big things we need to look out for."

The article also points out “11% is nearly triple the 4% average of fifth graders state-wide who've used inhalants.”

Additionally, it is “also significantly higher than the 3% and 1% averages at Paradise Canyon and La Cañada Elementary Schools, respectively.”

Inhalant Data from 2010 Arizona Youth Survey

Via AZJournal.com in Arizona:

The results of the 2010 Arizona Youth Survey (conducted by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission) were recently released. Inhalant specific information in the report includes:

• 10.9% of Navajo County students surveyed reported that they had used inhalants to get high at least once.
• The percentage of students reporting use of inhalants has dropped over the last four years.
  
• In 2008, 11.5% of all students reported using inhalants at least once (in 2006, the total was 13.5% )
• The statewide average for 2010 is 12.3% while the nationwide average is 12.5%.
  
• Lifetime use =10.8% of eighth grade students, 10.5% of 10th grade students & 11.6% of high school seniors.
• statewide average of 14.5% for eighth grade, 11.8% for 10th 9.4 % for 12th.
• nationwide average is 14.9% for eighth, 12.8 for 10th and 9.5 for 12th.
• A total of 2.7% of Navajo County students reported having used inhalants within 30 days of the survey. (3% of eighth graders, 2.8% of 10th graders & 2.7% of high school seniors.

Arizona Man Chokes Woman After Huffing Dusters

Via the Daily Courier in AZ:

Earlier this month a 27 year-old man was arrested in an inhalant abuse related incident.

Police responded to a call regarding a man threatening a woman with a knife. They found a woman crying in the driveway and saw a male run back inside the house. The woman told police the man had huffed two cans of computer duster so she asked him to leave. He became violent and verbally threatened her before grabbing her hair and choking her.

Police saw the man “pick up an aerosol can and inhale the vapor through a straw while the officer was negotiating with him to leave the home.” He was treated at the hospital for chemical inhalation and then arrested for unlawful imprisonment, aggravated assault, criminal damage, disorderly conduct, and assault, all per domestic violence.

Mom Who Lost Her Son to Inhalants Now Reaching Out to Others

Via KNDU.com in Washington:

After the loss of her son Shade Shirley-Speedis to computer dusters in June, Annette Shirley is reaching out to the community to warn them about the dangers of inhalant abuse.

She remarked, "It's the new thing, they're starting at elementary [school]. If there's parents still out there that don't know what I didn't know, maybe they could save their son or daughters right now."

On Monday, November 29th she is helping to host a session on dangers of "huffing" and how to recognize signs that a child may be inhaling this type of substance.” The meeting will be held at the Yakama Tribal School from 6-8 pm.

Arizona Woman Arrested for Abusing Carburetor Cleaner

Via AZ Central.com in Arizona:

A 32-year old woman was arrested for huffing carburetor cleaner. Police were called and they found the woman on the steps of the courtyard of her apartment complex “with a can of carburetor cleaner and a scarf that she appeared to be holding up to her mouth and inhaling.”

The police report notes she told them she was trying to get high and she seemed "mellow and giggly." She was arrested on charges of inhaling a hazardous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia

Indiana Man Found Dead in His Hotel Room After Inhalant Abuse

Via DreaminDemon.com

A Pennsylvania hotel was partially evacuated after hotel staff found the lifeless body of a 48 year-old Indiana man in his room. His body was found surrounded by numerous sex toys, various inhalants and other chemicals, and a gas mask. The article notes “Police believe the substances, mostly cleaning solutions, were being inhaled by the man to create a euphoric sensation.”

47 Year Old Woman Crashes Car After Huffing Behind the Wheel

Via LoHud.com in New York:

Last week a 47-year old woman lost control of her car in an inhalant related incident. Her car “veered off the road onto private property and struck a street sign and a utility pole.” It then crossed the road and hit a tree before crashing into a building.”

The driver was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries sustained in the crash and charged with “driving while ability impaired by drugs, a misdemeanor, and improper lane usage, an infraction.”

Inhalant Data for Moraga Elementary in California

Via the Lamorinda Patch in California:

The article references how 5th and 7th grade students in Moraga answered the 2010 California Healthy Kids Survey. “Inhalant and marijuana use is higher among seventh-graders than fifth-graders in the district, eight percent and five percent, respectively”

In looking at the results in more detail:

Moraga Elementary 5th Graders:
“Have you Ever Used Inhalants To Get High”

• Females 1%
• Males 2%

Moraga Elementary/Secondary: 7th Graders

Overall Inhalant Use in the Past 30 Days : 3% of students

“Have you Ever Used Inhalants To Get High”

• 0 times: 92%
• 1 time: 4%
• 2-3 times: 2%
• 4 times: 2%

Lifetime Inhalant Use:

• Females: 4%
• Males: 10%

Past 30 Days:

• Females: 4%
• Males: 2%

Comparative lifetime inhalant use:

• This District: 8%
• California: 11%

Comparative 30 day inhalant use:

• This District: 3%
• California: 5%

Inhalant Abuse as a Deterrent to Hunger

Via NDTV.com in India:

International Children’s Rights Day was celebrated this past November 20th. In honor of the awareness day, NDTV published an article on street kids and substance abuse that features inhalant abuse.

The piece opens with the case of a 12 year-old runaway who regularly sniffs glue to “keep hunger at bay.” The article then mentions that “two in every 10 street children in Bangalore, are victims of substance abuse” and that the younger ones start with tobacco and then move to inhalants before transitioning to alcohol.

Huffing and Burglary on the Increase in One CA Community

Via The Daily Triplicate in CA:

Local law enforcement is concerned about a recent increase in huffing in their community. In addition, they are noticing an increase in a “rash of thefts, including a major burglary, of those products.”

In one case, 20 boxes of whipping cream chargers, worth about $200, were stolen from an establishment. The owner called police to report a break-in. A 2.5 lb barbell had been thrown through a glass door but nothing seemed to be missing. He soon noticed the chargers missing and related it to the fact that many teens had been asking about them recently. Over a concern they were being used for inhalant purposes he had put them behind the counter.

The article also highlights the fact that police have noticed more teens huffing- “probably about less than ten in the last three months.”

Sixteen Year Old CA Boy Killed in Inhalant Related Crash

Via the OC Register in California:

Last Saturday night a 16 year old man was killed in a car crash and the 20 year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of an inhalant.

The car was speeding when the driver lost control. The car crossed the center median and hit a tree. The front seat passenger was killed and the other two passengers were taken to the hospital with non – life threatening injuries. The driver remains in critcal condition. The police report notes that “"A preliminary investigation revealed that just prior to the accident the driver was huffing automotive-grade nitrous oxide"

Another Suicide Due to Inhalant Abuse

Via WisconsinWatch.Org

Sadly, yet another case of a suicide related to inhalant abuse.

The article describes how fifteen years ago, a 14 year-old boy tragically took his own life while high on glue. He had been huffing glue with his younger brother when they got into an argument over mowing the lawn. His older brother’s wife smelled the glue and called police out of concern for his safety.

The boy then hid in the closet of a locked bedroom and when the officers entered the trailer he shot himself with a hunting rifle.

Inhalant Abuse Increases in Pennsylvania

Via Lancaster Online in Pennsylvania:

Results of the PA Youth Survey show that drug use is down in nearly every category for Lampeter-Strasburg students in grades eight, 10 and 12. However, “the sole exception was inhalant use.”

• The average of use of inhalants in by students in all three grades jumped from 9.8% in 2007 to 10.3 percent in 2009.

Charged with Huffing Carburetor Cleaner in Texas

From the Star-Telegram in Texas:

Last week police pulled a van over for a traffic stop. It ended in drug paraphernalia citations for five men after “the van's driver admitted to police that they had been inhaling carburetor cleaner fumes.” Carburetor cleaner contains toxic chemicals such as toluene, butane and methylene chloride.

The police report notes that as officers approached the van they smelled carburetor cleaner and “everyone except a juvenile girl in the van appeared disoriented.” The driver admitted that everyone in the car had been huffing.

The driver along with four male passengers (ages 18-20) were charged with drug paraphernalia-possession to inhale. The underage female was charged with violating curfew and was released to her mother.

Inhalant Abuse Data from Fairfax, Virginia

Via Fairfax City Patch in Virginia:

Fairfax County's 2009 Youth Survey results revealed that while drug use tends to be on the decline in the county, "younger students tend to use inhalants rather than other drugs."

The article also points out that:

• Inhalant use for students in eighth, 10th and 12th grades is slightly above the national average in the past 30 days, with 3.3% reporting recent use
  
• Inhalant use is the second most common drug behavior for eighth-graders in the county
  
• Among all students surveyed, 10.3% reported ever using inhalants
  
• Unlike other substances, abuse of inhalants decreases with age
  
• 5.4% of eighth-graders used inhalants in the previous 30 days, only 1.8 percent of 12th-graders reported using them.
  
• Inhalant use seems to be on the rise among eighth-grade students.
  
• While 7.8 percent of 12th-graders and 9.7 percent of 11th-graders report ever trying inhalants, 13.4 percent of eighth-graders have.
  
• The majority of respondents across demographics, however, reported using inhalants only once or twice.
  

Inhalant Use Data from Tolland Connecticut Schools

Via TollandPatch.com in Connecticut:

East of the River Action for Substance Abuse Elimination (ERASE, Inc.) recently released the findings of its Tolland 2010 Student Substance Use and Related Behavior Survey Report.

The survey covers grades 6-12 and includes a few interesting points about inhalant abuse:

Funeral Home Burglarized for Inhalant

Via the Leesville Daily Leader in Louisiana:

A funeral home in Leesville was burglarized and police suspect that the thieves will try and use the chemicals stolen to get high. The article notes “The chemicals are used for mortuary purposes only and have no benefit outside the mortuary business.”

Tennessee Car Crash Due to Inhalant Use

Via The Kingsport Times-News in Tennessee:

This past Tuesday evening a 20 year-old man was involved in an inhalant related accident.

The police report notes that the man was allegedly huffing computer duster when his truck “left the Interstate, hit a guardrail and embankment and came to a stop on an adjacent road.” A half empty can of the computer duster was found in the car, on the passenger side of the truck.

At the hospital the driver also admitted he had been huffing before the crash. He was hospitalized with non life threatening injuries. “Due to his hospitalization he was released on citations for driving under the influence, unlawful inhaling and failure to maintain proper control.”

NY Man Crashes Car After Huffing

Via the Poughkeepsie Journal in New York:

Last Friday a 28 year-old man crashed his car in an inhalant related accident. The car crashed into a fence and witnesses saw the man running from the car huffing computer duster as he fled into the woods.

He was arrested as he emerged from the woods and charged with “felony driving while ability impaired by drugs as a result of a prior DWI conviction and leaving the scene of an auto accident, a traffic infraction.”

Update: Monday's Fatal Inhalant Related Crash in Idaho

In a follow-up to the fatal inhalant related car crash in Idaho earlier this week, police note the driver and passenger were fighting over the can of computer duster immediately before the accident.

The Jeep Cherokee “went off the highway, through several small trees and hit one large one.” The driver died at the hospital, the passenger’s injuries are not life threatening.


The article notes that the local Idaho State Police Troopers “do not recall investigating a fatal crash involving huffing. He said that without toxicology tests, it's unclear how much of a factor it played in Monday's crash.”

Frighteningly, the article also points out that “another Treasure Valley teen died earlier this year after abusing inhalants. A 15-year-old Star boy who had been huffing refrigerant was found dead in a neighborhood pond in July.” More information on that case here.

Arizona Man Huffs Spray Paint, Throws Oranges at Planes

Via Phoenix New Times in Arizona:

A 33 year-old man was caught huffing spray paint in an orange grove near Falcon Field Municipal Airport in Mesa.

Police saw the man drinking from a green jug but as they got closer they smelled spray paint and saw his upper lip. They confirmed he had been huffing spray paint from the jug. He also admitted he had been throwing oranges at the planes.

The report notes that the man was jittery and repeatedly said he was trying to get to New Mexico. When they tried to take him into custody, “he refused to put his hands on his head and walked away from the officers.” They finally wrestled him to the ground and took him to jail. He was charged with “possession of a vapor releasing substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and trespassing.”

19 Year-Old Idaho Man Killed After Huffing While Driving

Via News Talk 620 KBOI in Idaho

Last night, a 19 year old man was killed in an inhalant related crash.

Idaho State Police note that both the driver and passenger were huffing computer duster when the driver lost control of the car. It “rolled near the off-ramp, hit a tree and landed in the parking lot of a motel.” The two men were taken to the hospital where the driver died. The passenger is still in the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Wisconsin Man Found Huffing at McDonalds

From WSAU in Wisconsin:

Last week a 37 year old Wisconsin man was arrested for an inhalant related offense.
The man was driving when he lost control of his car on a highway’s exit ramp. The car crashed into a ditch, damaging some road signs and a guardrail. Police say “he either pushed or drove his car out, and left the scene.”

Shortly after, police responded to a local McDonalds for a report of a man acting suspiciously. Police found a man huffing from a aerosol can. They noted the damage to his car and he was arrested for “leaving the scene of an accident, inhaling an illegal substance, and for a probation violation from Ozaukee.”

Man Caught Huffing at a Rite-Aid in California

From the Ukiah Daily Journal in California:

The most recent police and fire log mention an inhalant related incident. Last Wednesday evening a man was caught huffing from products in a Rite-Aid. Police responded and the suspect “left upon request.”

NY Woman Crashes Car After Huffing Behind the Wheel

From Syracuse.com in New York:

Last week a 19 year-old woman was involved in an inhalant related car crash. She admitted to investigators that that she had been huffing computer duster just before losing control of her car.
The car headed into oncoming traffic before veering off the roadway. It then “hit the utility pole, making it snap and causing the car to overturn.”

She was the only person in the car at the time of the accident and was taken to the hospital. Officials charged her with “reckless driving, driving to the left of a crest or curve and crossing official or hazardous road markings”

51 Year Old Woman Found Huffing in Store Restroom

From the Salt Lake Tribune in Utah:

Earlier this week a 51-year old woman was taken to the hospital after she was found huffing computer dusters in an Office Depot restroom.

She bought cans of the product and then took them into the restroom. Employees of the store called police and the woman was taken to the hospital for evaluation.