Blog Report

Monday, February 28, 2011

Fargo Woman Arrested for Huffing

Courtesy of KFGO
Fargo, ND

Today police in Fargo responded to the call of a passerby who reported that a car had crossed the median and entered the ditch.

When police arrived they approached the car and found a 24 year old woman with a can of dust remover in her hand.

She was arrested for inhalation of volatile chemicals.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Huffing Spray Paint Leads to Crash in Tulsa

Courtesy of NewsOn6.com
Tulsa, OK

Two teens were arrested after a crash that occurred around 1:00 this morning. Officers believe the two had been huffing a can of gold spray paint, which was found in the car.

Police say the driver went off the road, hit a pole then veered into a yard striking a mailbox and a carport.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Illinois Man Crashes While Allegedly Huffing Duster

Courtesy of The State Journal Register
Springfield, IL

A 48 year old man had allegedly been huffing dust remover when his car crashed into a wooden fence just down the road from his home. Officers responding to the call were able to follow a trail of car parts to the suspect’s driveway.

Upon entering the house officers found four cans of compressed gas cleaner, two of which were frosted over-meaning that they had very recently been used.

The driver admitted to crashing the vehicle but claimed he didn’t remember running into the fence. He claimed that he had blacked out.

He later admitted to officers that he had been huffing the cleaner, and was arrested.


Inhalant Deaths: Update from NIPC

Via the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition’s (NIPC) February 16, 2011 update:

“ Last year saw the greatest number of inhalant deaths ever reported to us, over 280 tragedies. The week before last three deaths were reported in one day. Although all inhalant deaths are tragic, a call in late January really got to us. I was told of a 12 year old girl passing on Christmas Eve. Family members called and were shocked to realize this youngster went to her room to huff spray paint. They said they knew very little about inhalants and hadn’t talked with their daughter about their dangers. Once more, a good child, doing well in school, etc. is lost.”

NIPC also highlights “Two recent studies highlight the frequency of inhalant deaths in two states: Florida and North Carolina."

Michigan Woman Arrested After Huffing

Via the Soo Evening News in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Last week police were called to respond to a woman who had apparently suffered a seizure after huffing. The woman complained of a sore chest and was transported to the hospital. She was arrested “on outstanding warrants for reckless driving and prohibited use of chemical agents and was booked into the jail.”

New Inhalant Data from Illinois

Via the Canton Daily Ledger in Illinois:

The 2010 Illinois Youth Survey data for both Ingersoll Middle School and Canton High School has been released. In both cases, 8% of students report they have used inhalants in the past year. The article also notes that for local high school seniors, the 2010 survey found that 5% had used inhalants.

Alarming Increase of Inhalant Abuse in Sussex County, New Jersey

Via the Sparta Independent in New Jersey:

The announcement includes an alarming inhalant statistic: “In Sussex County, there has been a 55 percent increase in inhalant use.”

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Man Banned from Pennsylvania Parks After Huffing

Via PennLive.com in Pennsylvania:

A 44 year old man has been banned from local parks in Carlisle after an inhalant related incident last November. Police found him “unconscious and clutching a can of carburetor cleaner” which they believed he had huffed before passing out.

Police woke him up but then had to use a stun gun on him because he was still high and wouldn’t cooperate. He was released into the care of EMS workers and charged with “defiant trespass, public drunkenness and other charges related to huffing.”

However, the man never responded to the charges so last Thursday police picked him up on the outstanding warrant and took him to jail.

Since it wasn’t his first time he had been found in this condition, police warned him both verbally and with a letter in the mail that he was banned from the parks.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Indiana Woman Suffers Second Degree Burns From Huffing

Via SouthBendTribune.com in Indiana:

A 20 year old woman was taken via helicopter to a burn unit after an inhalant related incident earlier this week.

The woman was in her car outside a Walgreens when “customers heard a "loud pop,'' then saw clothes inside the woman's car on fire.” She ran from the car and police found her with second-degree burns on her head, neck, arms and hands.

The woman told firefighters she had been “huffing” cans of aerosol deodorant but then told police she was merely emptying the cans to get rid of the contents after her stint in a rehabilitation facility.

Police note she has a history of huffing and they allege she lit a cigarette while inhaling the products. The report also points out that all the car windows were up and nearly a dozen aerosol cans were found in the car.”

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Student Drug Use Making a Comeback in Virginia

Courtesy of the Watertown Daily Times
Norwood-Norfolk, VA

A Norwood-Norfolk Central School survey has shown that illicit drug use by students has made a comeback. Students in grades 6,8,10 and 12 took part in the survey.

The classes of 2012 and 2014 showed elevated numbers of students using tobacco, marijuana and inhalants.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Tennessee shop Closed for selling whip-its

Courtesy of My Fox Memphis
Memphis, TN

Authorities in Memphis closed down Tokens, a local shop near the University of Memphis. After receiving repeated complaints from local citizens and nearby businesses regarding the business's conduct and clientele, the DA filed a Public Nuisance claim against the owner.

The report states that on 11 separate occasions detectives from the organized crime bureau purchased nitrous oxide inhalants and whip-it related tools at the store.

The report states that the employees knew what they were selling as well as the intended use of the products, which violates Tennessee law.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Australia targets gasoline-sniffing as part of a major campaign to improve Aborigines' health

Courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press
Canberra, Australia

In an effort to fight rampant gasoline sniffing in the Outback, the Australian government is extending the availability of a less harmful fuel, Opal.

Opal's presence in the market has yielded a 70% reduction in the abuse of gasoline across Outback Aboriginal communities, and has shown considerable health outcomes.

The special fuel has been in use since 2006 and is currently used in 108 stations servicing the Aboriginal community, with another 39 stations planned for the near future.

Lee County to Ban Huffing

Courtesy of WALB10
Leesburg, GA

Leaders in Lee County, Georgia have recognized the dangers of huffing and want to create legislation to prevent it.

The ordinance lists 30 products that once enacted, will be illegal to inhale. These substances will be added to the glue ordinance already in existence.

Those that are caught violating the city ordinance will be subject to 60 days in jail as well as $1000 in fines.

Commissioners will make their final vote next week on the status of the ordinance.

Open door leads OPD to suspected nitrous users

Courtesy of WFIE14
Owensboro, KY

On February 8 Owensboro Police officers went to investigate an open door at a local business. When they entered the building, they encountered two individuals who had tampered with two nitrous tanks.

Officers said they also found two balloons which they believe were being used to inhale the nitrou

The individuals were arrested at the scene.

Police Arrest Man for Huffing in Falls Church

Courtesy of the City of Falls Church Crime Report
Falls Church, VA

A man was arrested on a "Drunk in Public and Narcotics Violation", on February 2, at 10:43PM. The man, 44, was observed using inhalants by an officer and was arrested for Public Drunkenness and Inhaling Drugs.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Woman dies of Huffing

Courtesy of Riverton Radio
Riverton, WY

A 53 year old woman was found dead alongside a road near Fort Washakie School on the Wind and River Reservation in Riverton. The cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia caused by huffing spray paint.

Teenager Crashes Truck into Bedroom in Poplar Bluff

Courtesy of the SE Missourian
Poplar Bluff, MO

A woman escaped major injury when a truck driven by a teenager, who is accused of huffing duster while driving, crashed through her bedroom wall.

The truck crashed through the outer wall and came to rest in her bedroom. She sustained scrapes and bruising to the head which was caused by the truck tire.

The accident happened at 3PM on Sunday. The driver, reportedly disoriented, exited on the passenger side of the vehicle and fled the scene.

New Inhalant Data for Knox County Tennessee

Via KnoxNews.com in Tennessee:

The 2010 Youth Risk Behavior Survey results were recently released for Knox County Middle School students. The survey revealed that 8% of the students have tried inhalants which is similar to the 2008 survey findings

Palm Harbor Woman Failed to Supervise Paint Sniffing Child

Palm Harbor- Florida

According to the St. Petersburg Times a 35 year old Palm Harbor woman, Deborah Lee Pavlat, had fallen asleep after ingesting several a narcotic painkillers and failed to arrange childcare for the 7 year-old boy in her care.

While she was asleep, the young boy wandered outside and was caught by neighbors huffing spray paint. The boy reported that this was the first time he had tried it, and he liked the smell.

Pavlat was charged with child neglect and is currently being held in the Pinellas County Jail.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Inhalant Data From Press TV

Via the "Quick Facts: Drug abuse in the United States" on the Press TV website, interesting inhalant data:

Inhalants
  • In 2009, there were 813,000 persons aged 12 or older who had used inhalants for the first time within the past 12 months, which is similar to the numbers in prior years since 2002
  • 67.9 percent were under age 18 when they first used.
  • The average age at first use among recent initiates aged 12 to 49 was also similar in 2008 and 2009 (15.9 and 16.9 years, respectively).

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Retailer Implements New Policy in North Carolina

Via WFMY News 2 in North Carolina:

The article discusses how Office Depot has implemented a policy of not selling computer dusters to anyone less than 18 years of age.

The store manager states, "What we started realizing is people were taking advantage of some of those instruments negatively. We wanted to make sure it was actually used for what it was supposed to be used for.”

DWI and Wreck due to Huffing

Hometown Christian Radio- Wilkesboro, NC

Huffing was the cause of a motor vehicle crash on Sunday in Wilkesboro. A young woman had apparently been huffing a can of dust remover when her car left the roadway and struck a utility pole, just before coming to a stop near the front porch of a nearby house.

A witness to the incident told police that she had walked up the hill to her grandmothers house. When the officer arrived, the young woman was incoherent and had a can of dust remover with her, that she had apparently continued to huff.

She was arrested and charged with DWI and failure to report an accident.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Island Teenagers to Take Part in Drug Survey

via: Isle of Man, EU

The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) will soon launch its 2011 questionnaire.

ESPAD's 2007 survey showed:
- 17 % of those surveyed used inhalants, which is also about twice the ESPAD average.

- 93% of those surveyed had consumed alcohol within the last 12 months, and 61 percent had been drunk during the same period.

- 24% of those questioned who had smoked cigarettes in the 30 days before the survey,, which was slightly below average.


-34% of the students said they had used cannabis during their lifetime and the proportion reporting use of drugs other than cannabis - 16 per cent - was more than twice the mean.


- 12% used pills in combination with alcohol.

Teen Crashes Car- Possibly High on Inhalants

via: KRDO in Colorado

Two Colorado teens crashed midday on January 28, when their car veered into a tree and a light pole. It is believed that they had been huffing duster as a can was found in the car following the accident.

The passenger fled the wreck on foot and has not been located.

A Young Oklahoma Life Lost to Inhalants

Via Newson6 in Oklahoma:

A Tulsa area mom just lost her son to huffing less than a month ago and is speaking out publicly to educate more parents about inhalant abuse.

Melissa Zorichak lost her oldest son Mario on January 10th, a day before what would have been his 18th birthday. She found him a block from their home where he was “laying there, snow was covering him, like he was asleep.” He had been huffing refrigerant straight from the AC unit’s valve.

Hunterdon woman charged with 'huffing' dust cleaner, crashing into tree

via My Central Jersey in New Jersey

A 27 year old woman has been charged with driving under the influence of a toxic chemical after her truck ran off the road and crashed into a tree. She reported that she had been huffing an aerosol dust remover.

She was also charged with: Possession of a toxic chemical, reckless driving, and failure to maintain lane control.

She was transported to an area clinic where she was treated for face and neck injuries.

19 Year Old Caught Huffing Carburetor Cleaner in Arizona

Via the Sierra Vista Herald in Arizona:

The police blotter for January 27th notes an inhalant abuse incident. A 19 year old man was arrested for “for two felony warrants for probation violations and huffing carburetor cleaner.”

PA Coroner Identifies Inhalant Abuse as Cause of Death in Two Cases

Via the Herald Mail in Maryland:

The Franklin County, Pennsylvania Coroners 2010 annual report identified inhalant abuse as the cause of death for a 16 year old boy from Waynesboro, PA.

The report notes that the boy died on September 19th, the night he was involved in a car accident. The cause of death is listed as “acute difluoroethane toxicity, and the report does not attribute his death to injuries suffered in the accident.”

The article also points out that the same cause of death is also identified for a suicide in St Thomas, PA on April 24, 2010. The Coroner remarked that 2010 “presented the first cases he had encountered of death by huffing.”