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.

Blogger Posts About Inhalants After Funeral

My Two Pennies of Denver, Colorado blogged about inhalant abuse last week.

She mentions many statistics related to inhalants, and also other dangers that many aren't aware of:

"Besides sudden cardiac arrest (the most common cause of death from inhalants), huffing can kill quickly in a number of other ways. Motor vehicle accidents, falls, and other traumatic injuries are common and horrible. Others die from suffocation, burns, suicide (from the depression that can follow the high), and from choking – on their own vomit.

When huffing doesn’t kill quickly, it damages the body each time–especially the brain. Huffing can cause memory loss, impaired concentration, hearing loss, loss of
coordination, and permanent brain damage. Chronic use can cause permanent heart,
lung, liver, and kidney damage as well."

As a warning to parents, she explains that,

"Most huffing takes place with friends (although kids who sniff correction fluid in class when their teachers turn away are not uncommon). Be observant of your child and his or her friends.

Inhalants gradually leave the body for 2 weeks following huffing–mostly through exhaling. The characteristic odor is the biggest clue. Be on the lookout for breath or clothing that smells like chemicals. Look for clothing stains. Watch for spots or sores around the mouth.

Nausea, lack of appetite, weight loss, nervousness, restlessness, and outbursts of anger can all be signs of inhalant abuse. A drunk, dazed, or glassy-eyed appearance
might mean your child is abusing inhalants right now."

She also pleads with parents to sit down and discuss inhalant abuse with their children early, because,

"Preventing huffing is far better than trying to treat an inhalant addiction. Talking with your child about it is more powerful than anything else (NIDA Research Monograph, 1988;85:8–29).

Start talking with your child about it now. Although huffing peaks between the ages of 12 and 15 years, it often starts “innocently” in children only 6 to 8 years old
(Pediatrics, 1996;97:3).

Literally thousands of easily available substances can be inhaled, so you can’t keep your child away from them. You can, however, educate and inspire."

The author posted this after attending a funeral for a 20-year-old who accidentally died after huffing. She writes,

"The pain it caused his family and friends was enormous and the loss of the one they loved will haunt them forever. This is a real, dangerous problem. Anyone, even a first time user, can die."

Choking Death in New Zealand

A 14-year-old boy from Wainoni, New Zealand died in October after passing out while inhaling LPG (liquid petroleum gas). The coroner is now warning young people about the dangers of inhalant use, calling it a 'dangerous game', and

"I ask that every young person in this room tell their friends about how dangerous it is. Spread the word -- don't do it. The facts of the case so clearly speak for themselves."

Nathan Cunningham fell unconscious at some point while huffing and began vomiting. He died by asphixation.