Babysitter Caught Huffing From Air Conditioning Unit in Ohio

Via the Norwalk Reflector in Ohio:

A 19 year old female babysitter was supposed to be watching an 8 year old boy and a 9 year old girl. Instead, she was caught huffing refrigerant out of a central air conditioning unit this past weekend. Police responded to the incident.

California Girl Dead After Huffing From Air Conditioner

Via the San Bernardino Sun in California:


A 12 year old girl is dead after huffing refrigerant from an air conditioning unit in California.

On February 28^th, her mom received a call from her family telling her they had found the girl on the bathroom floor of her grandmother’s house, where she lived, and she wasn’t breathing. Four days later she was taken off life support. The girl’s cousins admitted to having huffed previously and noted it was a common occurrence in their middle school.

Atlanta Teens Huffing From Air Conditioners

Via WSB TV and the CBS affiliate in Atlanta:


Six high school students are facing charges after they were found vandalizing a home air conditioning unit in an attempt to get high.
The homeowner heard noises on the back deck and saw teens “rolling around on the ground, having a hard time standing up” and “The one kid who was laying behind the unit had his mouth against it and just sucking it in.” He took photos of the teens from the window and when he went outside to confront them they were disoriented and dazed.

When the teens ran off they left their book bags behind which is how the police were able to identify them. They have been charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass, destruction of property and theft. The home owner notes it is the second time in two weeks he has caught teens huffing the refrigerant out of his air conditioner.

Refrigerant Continues to Grow in Popularity

Theft of refrigerant out of air conditioners continues to stay on a steady rise.

After an entire day of a family's A/C unit was blowing hot air into their residence they called a heating and cooling company to find out what the issue could be.

When a service man arrived he found caps and a plastic bag around the unit. Someone had stolen two pounds worth of refrigerant from the unit to get high.

It cost the family about 150 dollars to correct the situation.

They now have locking service caps on their units.

Via ksdk.com in Fenton, MO

Installation of Air Conditioning Locks on the Rise

As huffing refrigerant continues to grow in popularity among teens air conditioning companies are capping more and more units to prevent the disturbance.

In the last week four cases of missing refrigerant were reported.

For about $40 to $50 the lock can be installed for added security and peace of mind.

Via ksl.com in Salt Lake City, UT

Surge in Teens Huffing Refrigerant Has Georgia Poison Control on High Alert

A surge in teens huffing has prompted Poison Control to add freon to the list of abused inhalants.
Freon is a refrigerant used in air conditioners.

The number of cases of teens pumping the refrigerant out of air conditioners to get high is on the rise.

Officials say it can be deadly after one dose.

According to the Director of the Georgia Poison Control, there has been an increase in inhalant abuse cases from five in 2009 and 2010 to six through May of this year.

The Poison Center stated that there had been no reported deaths in Georgia from huffing refrigerant just yet.

Via wsbtv.com Atlanta, GA

Putting A Freeze On Inhalants, Refrigerant

From NewsOn6.com (May 28):

With summer on the horizon, some doctors believe it is not the heat we should worry about but the cold. Medical practitioners are warning people about inhalant abusers using air conditioner to get high.

Refrigerant, a gas emitted from A/C units, is the next step for some. It is accessible and free, which cuts the already low financial costs of inhalant abuse down to zero. Doctors warn long and short term side effects can be visible after the first use. "And the problem is people don't realize that there is a chance and risk of death" one doctor admits.

Heating and cooling companies have caught people on tape using the A/C for their dangerous high. "We've had several customers that after doing a job, found out it was leaking again after we had fixed it again...[we] discovered on a security camera that somebody was actually coming over and sniffing it at night."

The solution? Purchase a lock from your local heat and air company- about $30.

Teens Charged With Vandalism

From WFIE 14 News in Evansville, Indiana

According to a Gibson County heating and air technician (HVac tech) area teens are actively ‘huffing’ refrigerant to get high. Refrigerant, a chemical coolant most commonly found in air conditioners, refrigerators, and car engines contains high concentrations of toxic compounds that can elicit cognitive impairments and limit brain functioning if ingested.

The HVac tech describes the alarming influx of calls he has received over the past few months, all from local customers requesting repairs be made to their ‘faulty’ air conditioning systems. After receiving 10 customer calls in one month from “clients claiming to have similar problems… missing service caps and empty tanks of refrigerant,” the technician called the police- on a hunch that local teens were behind the tamperings.

After a thorough investigation of the vandalized AC units, police confirmed that local teens had in fact been ‘huffing’ the refrigerant - “taking the fill caps off the AC units to access the refrigerant for a quick high.” Several Gibson County teens were implicated in the incidents and are facing stiff penalties for stealing refrigerant. The investigation is ongoing.

Exposure to refrigerant can prompt painful chemical burns, frost bite, permanent vision loss, and even death. These dangers are the reason HVac technicians are required to wear gloves and special eye wear when installing refrigerant into a unit. Many technicians recommend homeowners to purchase special locks for their AC units to deter such acts of vandalism.

Air Conditioners Tampered with in Virginia

From WVEC.com in Norfolk:

Last week, “Someone removed the refrigerant from AC units at a Virginia Beach apartment complex.” Police have also found evidence of similar cases happening nearby.

The community is concerned that the units are being tampered with for the purpose of inhalation abuse.

Missing Man Arrested for Huffing From AC Units

From the Myrtle Beach Sun News in South Carolina:

A 28 year old man was arrested and charged with “the unlawful use of aromatic hydrocarbon, and huffing refrigerant” after tampering with air conditioning units.

His roommate had reported him missing but police located him when responding to a call about a “a suspicious man with a screwdriver and plastic bag tampering with their AC units.”

The police report notes that he “admitted to officers to huffing refrigerant from AC units and that he was addicted to refrigerant.”

17 Year-Old Dies After Huffing Refrigerant

From WFMY News 2 in Greensboro, NC

Earlier this month on February 6th, a 17 year-old female died from huffing refrigerant released from an air conditioner. She was found unresponsive at an apartment complex in Lexington.

Her parents are now speaking out because “they don't want another teen to make the same mistake their daughter made.”

The local police department is also working to alert parents to the issue as well. Captain Tad Kepley states, “We're hoping that we can get the message out that this is dangerous if you know of someone that is huffing refrigerant please get them to stop before someone else is tragically killed.”

Teens Caught Huffing Refrigerant from Air Condistioner

From the Dallas Morning News in Texas:

At 2:15 pm on Tuesday, teens in North Dallas were caught inhaling refrigerant from an air condition outside a local house.

The crime reports notes “a caller observed and photographed suspects as they experienced the effects of their actions.” The person reported the incident to police, the teens were checked by a local rescue, and then the “suspects were transported to the high school and released to school authorities.”