Man Crashes into a Garage after Huffing

via www.chroniclet.com

A man in Ohio faces charges of driving under the influence and operation without being in reasonable control of a vehicle after crashing into a garage. The 44-year-old was huffing while driving and caused a significant amount of damage. The man seemed out of it and didn't realize what he had done. It's unclear what substance he was huffing.

Man Huffs, Hits Guardrails, Crashes Into House

A man who admitted to using inhalants with several duster cans in his vehicle was arrested yesterday in Springfield, Missouri.

Around 4:30 PM, the unnamed driver "hit guardrails before crossing into oncoming traffic, hitting fences and then a house", say witnesses.

Trooper Scott Mease of the Missouri Highway Patrol claims that "he definitely damaged two properties. Extensive damage. Looks like it's been moved off the foundation a little bit and the car did penetrate all the way into the house. It's pretty bad."

Luckily, no one inside the house was injured and the driver only suffered a broken leg. No charges have been filed yet but there is a possibility that he will be looking at a DWI.

Story from OzarksFirst.com.

Vandals May Have Huffed Before Defacing Chapel

The Goddard Chapel in Marion, Illinois was hit by vandals, reports TheSouthern.com.

"Satanic drawings and offensive language" were spray painted on the chapel and "four monuments inside Rose Hill Cemetery" were defaced.

Bob Connell, the city cemetery sexton, said that "authorities believe teens were huffing the paint before using it to do damage the property." He also added that he had,

"been working here for 33 years and there has always been sporadic vandalism at the cemetery, but the problem seems to be worsening. There’s not much we can do, though. There are 120 acres of property to manage here. We can’t be out here 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Nearby, an empty can and cap were found, along with a trash bag.

Refrigerant Theft at Ultimate Omelet House

WFTV.com of Daytona Beach, Florida warns residents of a "dangerous, potentially deadly crime" that has been occurring in the area - thieves breaking into air conditioning units to huff the refrigerant inside.

Recently, the Ultimate Omelet House had to call repairmen since its air conditioning wasn't functioning correctly. The owner, Dan Byrd, was shocked to find out that the A/C unit had been tampered with to release the refrigerant inside. "Huffing refrigerant was never something that, and I used to be a Daytona Beach cop, you just never heard of that sort of thing," he said.

Replacing the refrigerant will cost over $400.

Tom McGuire, of Flair Air Conditioning, explained that "in the heating and air industry, it's a well-known problem" and that they had problems with refrigerant theft a few years ago.

McGuire also explained the dangers of refrigerant:

"It's going right into their head and they're getting a high that way. If they should happen to sniff the refrigerant liquid, it could kill them by vaporizing their lungs."

In addition, refrigerant "is also under pressure and can explode if you break into pipes, as was done at the restaurant, causing freezer burns and instant frostbite if it makes contact with skin."

Refrigerant theft was the subject of a letter to the editor a few weeks ago.

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."

Parent Warns About Accessible Drugs

William Brigham of Scotts Valley, California wrote an article in the Press Banner that touches on several drugs that are easily available to kids - including inhalants.

He begins by saying,

"When mention is made of teen drug use, substances like marijuana, ecstasy and methamphetamine are often what come to mind. But the other drugs that are not discussed enough are those found in your home, within easy reach of young people."

He then continues by explaining inhalants, and that "many such substances are available to young people, and they provide effects similar to alcohol: an initial rush followed by disinhibition, slurred speech and stupor, depending on how much was used."

Also mentioned are the problems that can be caused:

"Organ damage from sniffing solvents can be quite serious, including harm to the heart, brain, kidneys, lung or liver. More than 2 million teens have used inhalants, and while most will grow out of that particular drug use, some will continue and incur considerable physical harm."

Mr. Brigham is also an administrator of the NFL Program for Substances of Abuse.

Man Arrested Twice in One Night

Inhalant news has been slow this week, which is a good thing in general but not conductive to posting. So, we will be visiting some events from the past few months that haven't received a mention here yet.

Hanover, PA's The Evening Sun reported on March 30th that a man had been arrested twice within five hours for the same offense - driving while under the influence of inhalants.

Marlyn Runk III, a 19-year-old, was arrested at 4:20 PM after someone called the police to report a Subaru driving erratically.

Trooper George Ross stated that when he reached the scene, Runk's car was in someone's yard. The resident was holding Runk's keys and Runk was passed out in the driver's seat. According to Ross, as he approached the vehicle, Runk "took an aerosol can containing compressed air and sprayed it in his mouth."

He was arrested for driving under the influence of a controlled substance and driving with a suspended license.

Runk's cousin transported the Subaru to police barracks where the car was searched. Officers found three similar cans of computer dust remover. At 5:30 PM, Runk was released to the custody of his grandmother.

"I thought I was finished with him after that,"said Trooper George Ross.

Unfortunately, Runk would experience a run-in with the same officer later that evening.

Ross was dispatched to a DUI hit-and-run at 9:00 PM, and saw the same Subaru vehicle being towed away from an intersection. Runk was sitting in the passenger seat of the tow truck.

The officer thought, "it can't be him".

From the article:

"After stopping the tractor, Ross said Runk came down, looked at him and said, "Remember me?"

Ross said Runk told him a story about how he and a friend had been at his grandmother's house, but left. Runk initially said his friend was behind the wheel at the time of the crash, Ross said. But Runk eventually admitted he was driving during the crash, Ross said.

And when Ross searched the Impreza a second time, he allegedly found yet another bottle of compressed air."

Runk was then arrested for the same offenses - driving under the influence of a controlled substance and hit-and-run.

Even More Huffing and Driving

There seems to be a rash of these lately - is it the springtime weather?

18-year-old Jason Lee Ward from Huntingburg, IN was arrested last Wednesday after police found him and his car in a resident's backyard. Officers found him "confused and disoriented".

Police claim that Ward "had been driving on Sycamore Street when he struck a parked truck. He then went past a dead end sign, stopping in a grove of trees in a backyard."

They believe that he had been abusing inhalants before the crash.

He is facing unknown charges and is currently being held in the Dubois County Security Center.

Reported by TriStateHomepage.com.

Teenagers Not Charged in Crash

On January 15th, 18-year-old Coty Miller crashed his car with three other teenagers into the front of a karate school in Gettysburg, PA. Originally, Brittany Hollinger, the prosecution's only witness, had told police that Coty bought the computer duster at a Wal-Mart and he and two others in the car then inhaled the contents. One of the passengers, Corwin Dillon, was her boyfriend at the time.

However, at a preliminary hearing as well as a later juvenile hearing, she recanted her story and said that she did not see the other passengers inhaling the duster. She said that she didn't even know what 'doing duster' meant, although the phrase was used in her handwritten account of the accident.

Adams County Assistant District Attorney Brian Sinnett said that even if she did testify to seeing the others huffing, it wouldn't matter because "the hospital didn't run the appropriate test to identify any substances that might have appeared in Miller's or Dillon's blood. "

Fred Davis also witnessed the accident. He claimed that he saw "Miller's car swerving around other vehicles on York Street before the accident. The driver, Miller, had his hands on the wheel, his eyes open, and that he and the front-seat passenger, Billings, were laughing."

Brittany Hollinger was injured in the crash, breaking two vertebrae in her back as well as cutting and bruising her head and hands.

Miller's charges originally included aggrevated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, DUI, inhaling toxic substances, corruption of minors, driving on the left side of the road, and three counts of reckless endangerment.

All were dropped except for the counts of reckless endangerment.

Will testing for inhalants be a problem for DWIs in the future? Inhalants dissipate rapidly from the bloodstream, and currently they can only be detected if blood is taken immediately after huffing and then frozen.

How much circumstantial evidence will be enough for an officer to determine whether or not a suspect is high from inhalants? Possible signs are a chemical smell on the suspect's person or vehicle, empty aerosol cans, or acting giddy or dizzy. It may become difficult to prosecute in these kinds of cases when there are no clear-cut tests for inhalants.

Story from The Evening Sun.

More Huffing, More Driving

In South Dakota, a 25-year old man abused computer duster (or, incorrectly, 'compressed air') and crashed his vehicle into several others.

Maconnell Baker is believed to have inhaled the duster as he was driving. Lieutenant James Johns, from the Rapid City Police Department, called it "a classic example of a 'huffing' or 'dusting' crash."

Baker struck a Jeep Cherokee travelling in the same direction, causing it to spin. He then hit the curb and drove on the sidewalk for awhile until he hit the side of a Honda Accord, whose driver was waiting to turn at an intersection.

He then ran into a parked motorcycle, owned by a nearby crossing guard who was helping children across the street as Baker drove out of control. According to the guard, none of the children were hurt, and that they were "very fortunate that it wasn't worse than it was."

The driver of the Accord was taken to the hospital and last reported in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.

The passenger in the Accord, a two-year-old, was not hurt.

The driver of the Cherokee was not hurt.

Baker was treated and released. He faces charges of driving under the influence and vehicular battery.

According to the article,

"This is not the first time Rapid City police have dealt with incidents allegedly involving huffing. A Rapid City teen was arrested Dec. 17 after crashing his vehicle into electrical boxes near the Rapid City Swim Center on Milwaukee Street. Police said they believed the 17-year-old was huffing compressed air shortly before the crash. He was arrested for driving under the influence and several other charges. At the time of the accident, police said it was the fourth crash in the past two months involving the abuse of compressed air."

There was another incident in addition to the crashes due to inhalant abuse - three months ago, a house caught on fire in Rapid City after the inhabitants were inhaling paint fumes.

Crash article from The Rapid City Journal.

Inhalant Abuser Hits Barrier With Car, Injures Eight

The St. Tammany News reported last week that an 18-year-old driver was abusing computer duster before causing a wreck involving three cars and eight people. Adrian Adels was driving on Highway 190 in Louisiana at 7:00 PM and misjudged the distance to the exit, hitting two other cars.

According to Covington Police Lieutenant Jack West, his vehicle "went through the curb dividing the highway, sending 1- and 2-foot chucks of concrete flying into the two other vehicles. He finally came to a stop on a steel culvert that hooked the undercarriage of his car."

The eight people involved were treated in nearby hospitals. One of the cars held a mother, father, and their small child. Fortunately, everyone was released with only minor to moderate injuries.

People on the highway who witnessed the accident "reported Adels was traveling at a high rate of speed and was driving erratically."

The passengers in Adels' car said that they had been abusing the computer duster while Adels was driving. Lt. West found two cans in the car along with two plastic bags.

Charges against Adels are pending and include driving while intoxicated as well as negligent injury. Lt. West did not know why Adels had not been charged yet.

Faithful readers of the blog will notice both the frequency of driving while abusing inhalants as well as the inhalant of choice - computer dusters, almost 100% of the time.

Why is this? Why are people huffing dust remover while driving but ignoring other inhalants? It could be that for every person that is found abusing inhalants and driving, there are fifty who are 'dusting' at home or with friends and not getting caught.

Huffing Dust Remover in Fort Myers

In Fort Myers, Florida, a woman was spotted inhaling dust remover by police officers and EMS paramedics while sitting in her car in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

Sgt. Larry King, spokesman for the Lee County Sheriff, said that "It was quite obvious when he saw her huffing the aerosol from the can what was taking place."

The woman then slumped over in her seat and the deputy attempted to unlock the car door. When that failed, he broke the passenger window to extract her from the vehicle. She was sent to the hospital and then charged with inhaling dangerous chemicals.

She was "not trying to kill herself", but instead "going through a rough time and was just trying to clear her mind for a few minutes."

Article from WINKnews.com.

Grand Island Middle School Congress Meets

On Wednesday, we posted a story about Grand Island, Nebraska's concern about inhalant use in students. One of the responses of the school district to the increasing drug usage in their area was to form a Middle School Youth Congress, comprised of eighty-five middle schoolers who went on a retreat to become better educated in topics such as drug awareness and peer pressure.

The Congress seems to have been a great success. Chuck Matson of the Omaha Police Department explained the difference between using drugs to become healthy versus using them to get high. He especially focued on the abuse of inhalants, and discussed the physical harm that can occur to the body with inhalant use.

He also reminded the students that death can occur the first time that anyone tries inhalants.

Story from the Grand Island Independent.

Nitrous Oxide Stolen

Shackfords store in Napa, California was broken into by vandals targeting cartridges of nitrous oxide, commonly used in whipped cream canisters. They had attempted to enter the store on two previous occasions, one successfully. The cartridges were the only things stolen.

Retailers should be aware of the demand for abusable inhalants and take precautions so that their merchandise is not depleted.

Physiological Effects Caused By Inhalants Abuse

Posted on Testcountry.com, this article by Tarun Gupta explores the effects on the human body after using inhalants. Even though children may believe that something they can find in their own homes isn't harmful, the studies show otherwise:

Neuropathy:

Inhalants may cause widespread and long lasting effects on the brain and other parts of the nervous system. The neurotoxic effects of prolonged inhalant abuse include neurological syndromes that reflect damage to parts of the brain involved in controlling cognition, movement, vision, and hearing. Brain damage, which can lead to personality changes, impaired memory, hallucinations, loss of coordination and difficulty in walking, slurred speech and vision problems.

Cardiovascular complications:

Prolonged sniffing of the highly concentrated chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can induce irregular and rapid heart rhythms and lead to heart failure and death within minutes. Various nitrites & methylene chlorides found in paint thinners and varnishes may cause blood oxygen depletion which may result in blackouts. Benzene, which is a known carcinogen, is used in gasoline and may also lead to bone marrow damage resulting in anemia.

Respiratory complications:

People who use inhalants can lose their sense of smell; experience nausea and nosebleeds; and develop various respiratory problems. When large amounts of inhalants are inhaled, these products may deprive the body of the oxygen needed to survive, which may lead to asphyxiation & choke a person to death! Inhalant users can die by suffocation, choking on their vomit, or by heart attack.

Muscular dystrophy:

Chronic use of inhalants can lead to muscle wasting and reduced muscle tone and strength. Heavy inhalant use may also lead to hand tremors & muscle cramps. Hexane (found in gasoline and glues), or nitrous oxide (present in some gas cylinders) may lead to numbness, tingling or spasms.

Other Organs:

Inhalants also are highly toxic to many other organs. It can produce significant damage to lungs, kidneys & liver. While Toluene (found in spray paints and glues) can cause liver disorders and kidney disorders, it along with trichloroethylene (used in cleaning and correction fluids) can lead to hearing loss.

Behavioral Effects:

This might include hallucinations, nausea, excessive sweating, headaches, chills and delirium i.e. usually a brief state of excitement and mental confusion often accompanied by hallucinations.

Driver Arrested After Two Collisions

A 21-year-old man who was driving his truck while under the influence of inhalants was arrested yesterday after he drifted into the opposing lane, sideswiped another driver, and collided with another vehicle. He kept driving until finally hitting a chain-link fence and rupturing a fuel tank, spilling fifty gallons of fuel onto the road. When police arrived, they found him trying to hide a can of Clean Safe dust remover. He told police that he did not remember the incident and denied any inhalant use.

Rapid City Fire

A house caught on fire yesterday afternoon in Rapid City, South Dakota as a direct result of one of the residents inhaling paint fumes. The fumes ignited and both he and his visitor were sent to the hospital with lung issues and minor burns. Although ACE is primarily concerned with the bodily harm involved with abusing inhalants, this provides an example of other risks involved. Many inhalants are flammable and should not be used around open flames. Luckily, it appears that the injuries were minimal.