Blacksburg, Virginia Concert to Raise Money for Anti-Huffing Awareness

Via www.roanoke.com

A concert was held on Sunday September 13^th 2015 at Blacksburg Presbyterian Church in order to raise money for inhalant abuse awareness. This was triggered by the death of a 41-year-old husband and father of two young children from inhalant abuse. The man was found dead clutching a can of computer cleaner. According to the family, he was suffering from PTSD from his most recent combat tour and had a long history of risk taking.

The concert itself was set up in order to raise money. Admission was free, although attendees were highly encouraged to donate to a memorial fund. Even before the event, it had raised over $8,500. The funds are designated for educational programs related to the issue and will be concentrated in Montgomery County Public Schools.

Man Arrested for Huffing in his Car in Virginia

Via the Daily Press in Virginia:

The Gloucester Weekly Crime Log reports that on August 3, a sheriff's deputy observed a suspicious vehicle. The 45 year old male driver locked the doors and refused to roll down the window, huffing from a canister as he ignored the deputy's commands. Eventually he was arrested and issued six summonses for obstruction of justice, driving suspended, reckless driving, drinking while driving, improper stopping on highway, and inhaling drugs or noxious chemical.

Virginia Man Arrested for Huffing

Via The News Virginian

Police arrested two men in the parking lot of Wal-Mart after they were suspected of huffing from an aerosol can.  The men admitted to police that they were huffing from the can of duster.

One man was released but the other was deemed to be too intoxicated from huffing the duster.  He was taken into custody for being drunk in public.  He was charged with one misdemeanor count of inhaling drugs and one misdemeanor count of public intoxication.

Virginia Parkway Clean Up Leads to Huffing Suspicions

Via WDBJ 7

Volunteers in Roanoke, Virginia were surprised when their parkway clean up led to a collection of more than 600 cans of whipped cream.  Local police are looking into the location of the cans, and are suspecting huffing.

Roanoke Police Chief Chris Perkins stated, "It's not a surprise that people are self-medicating with whatever they can find, and that is what we have to address as a community."

Perkins plans to discuss the problem with other departments in the area.

Virginia Pair Arrested for Huffing Inside Vehicle

Via Newsleader.com

A man and women were arrested in Waynesboro recently, after a witness found them inside a vehicle  inhaling fumes from a can of computer duster. The woman was brought to a nearby hospital for examination and then taken into police custody after her discharge.

New Inhalant Abuse Data From Fairfax, Virginia

Via WTOPradio in Virginia: 

The results of the 2012 Fairfax County Youth Survey have been released and they have revealed that inhalant abuse in Fairfax County is above the national average.

• 2.9 percent of Fairfax County students reported having used inhalants within the past month, compared to the 1.7 percent national average.

• The 2.9 percent is less than the 3.9 percent reported in 2010 but an INCREASE from the 2.5 percent reported in 2011.
•  Inhalants were the only substances with higher rates of usage by Fairfax County's 8th grade students (5%) than 12th grade students (1.4%).
• Inhalants were the second most frequently used substance by 8th graders after alcohol.
• Girls (3.1%) report a higher use than boys (2.7%)
  

2010 Fairfax County Youth Survey

The 2010 Fairfax County Youth Survey questioned students about their use of 13 different substances in the past month, including inhalants.

According to the survey:

• 6.9% of 8th graders had used inhalants in the previous thirty days
• Inhalants were the 2nd most abused substance for eighth graders (after alcohol)
• 3% of 10th graders and 1.8% of 12th graders used inhalants in the previous thirty days.

According to Captain Bruce Ferguson of the Fairfax County Police Department, “The survey has shown inhalant use starting at a younger age, which means we have to make sure to check for it at a younger age.”

For eighth graders in Fairfax County, 6.9% represents the highest rate of use that the survey has ever measured.

Huffer Hit-and-Run

Via The Virginia Gazette:

A Virginia man was allegedly huffing computer duster while driving and hit another car, causing $5,000 worth of damage. The man kept driving despite the fact that his left front tire came off.

Police later found him in a nearby neighborhood and said he was “somewhat incoherent.” The man is being charged with felony hit-and-run, DUI, and driving on a suspended license.

The driver of the struck car suffered minor injuries but was not taken to the hospital.

AC Units Installed With Extra Security Due to Refrigerant Abuse

Via nbc12.com in Richmond, VA

As refrigerant addiction increases among children, S. A. F. E. Chesterfield, a substance abuse prevention group in Chesterfield VA, is working to stop the trend.

Mona Casey, a Florida mom, lost her 15-year-old son Charles to a refrigerant addiction. What started as an after school habit with a friend cost him his life. Casey created http://www.uproarorg.org/ to educate people on the day to day dangers of substance abuse. Starting this year, AC units are being installed with an added security feature.

Dominion Service Company of Richmond and many other air conditioning technicians now install a small cap that fits around the valve where refrigerant can be released. The cap can only be removed by a key that is unavailable to the public.

"I'm very, very happy that the people there in Virginia are taking this very seriously," said Casey.

To date 400 caps have been installed in the Richmond area.

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.

Inhalant Abuse on the Increase in Fairfax County, Virginia

Via FairfaxTimes.com

The results of the 2009 Fairfax County Youth Survey (grades 6,8,10,12) were released this past Tuesday and they show an increase in inhalant abuse from 2008 to 2009.

A county staff member expressed concern that “Although Fairfax County students generally use alcohol and drugs at lower rates than their peers in other parts of the country, the rate of inhalant use now is above the national average.”

• 5% of 8th graders report using an inhalant to get high within the past 30 days (national average= 4%)
• 3% of the county’s high school sophomores report using inhalants (national everage =2%)
• 2% of the county’s seniors report using an inhalant (national average=1%)

Ace Congratulates SAFE

Congratulations to Substance Abuse Free Environment Inc. (SAFE) for being selected as one of the recipients of the 2010 National Exemplary Award for Innovative Substance Abuse Prevention Programs, Practices and Policies! SAFE received the award for its inhalant abuse prevention initiative.

SAFE began its education efforts in the Virginia community of Chesterfield in 1999. Though inhalant abuse was not a well-known issue, data showed inhalants were abused at an alarming rate among local eighth graders.

According to the recent Prevention Needs Assessment Survey, SAFE’s work has helped to reduce this rate. Over the past five years (2005 to 2010), SAFE has reduced lifetime use of inhalants among eighth graders by 44%! Furthermore, use of inhalants in this community during the past 30 days has also dropped by 64% since 2005. To see the entire survey, please click here.

This is a great accomplishment for SAFE and the community their work continues to impact! For more information about their educational programs or to read about how SAFE has inspired hundreds of community volunteers over the years, please visit www.chesterfieldsafe.org.

Inhalant Abuse Caused Fatal Virginia Crash

Via NBC29.com in Virginia:

Blood tests have been released that show inhalant abuse was a contributing factor in a May 12, 2010 car crash on Afton Mountain in Virginia. The Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the presence of difluroethane in the blood system of the 29 year old driver.

The 29 year old was behind the wheel of a 1996 Buick Century when he passed out, causing the car to run off the road and through the median, where it struck a 2007 Toyota Corolla head on. The driver of the Buick and the 71 year old passenger in the front seat of the Toyota were killed.

Virginia Man Arrested for Inhalant Abuse at North Carolina Wal-Mart

From the Gaston Gazette in North Carolina:

Yesterday am, a shopper at Wal-Mart called police after seeing a man slumped over in his car. The Police Chief responded and found a 24 year old Virginia man huffing computer duster. He saw the man “man inhale the toxin then slump over the steering wheel.”

The driver was arrested and “charged with inhaling toxic vapors and given a $500 unsecured bond.”

Virginia: Huffing Behind The Wheel

From the Daily Press (April 2):

In a rash of similar cases across the country, police arrested a Virginia man who was huffing while driving. Passing motorists became suspicious when the man was unconscious at green light and called the police. Further investigation showed a preexisting condition was not to blame as the man was found with a can of duster in his lap.

The 52-year old man was summarily charged with misdemeanors inhaling drugs and driving under the influence. While police had seen huffing incidents before, this caught them by surprise.
"Duster is a fairly commonly abused substance," an officer said. "But, it's usually used by kids."

Police Investigate Whether 'Dusting' Led To Fatal Crash

From Southwest Virginia Today in Richlands, Virginia

Police in Wythe County, Virginia are investigating whether “dusting – inhaling cans of compressed gas to get high” is to blame for last weekend’s fatal car crash that left two sisters dead.
Last weekend a vehicle driven by 19-year-old Ashley Paynter crossed the median and struck a pick-up truck killing both women inside, 53-year-old Judy Camper, and 49-year-old April McAllister. After obtaining a warrant to search Paynter’s vehicle, police seized a can of computer dust remover and a straw covered in white powder. Police are now looking into whether Paynter and her 21-year-old passenger Linda Reeves were ‘huffing’ prior to Sunday’s fatal accident.

Wal-mart security tapes reveal Reeves “concealing two cans of propellant [from store cameras] half an hour before the collision took place.” According to court documents, Paynter had been banned from the same Wal-mart earlier in the year after she was caught shoplifting.

Paynter was last listed to be in fair condition at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Her passenger Linda Reeves was treated and released Sunday evening. More details are expected to be released shortly. Visit WSLS News 10 to view a televised report of the incident.

Shoplifting Teens Apprehended

From The Free Lance Star in Fredricksburg, VA

Two teens were arrested on Tuesday after they were caught stealing several cans of computer duster from a local Wal-Mart. Both men are facing felony charges in connection to the incident. According to reports, two off-duty police officers were shopping in the store and witnessed a young male run out carrying stolen cans of computer duster and other miscellaneous goods- “dropping items everywhere.” Officers yelled to the suspect to stop but their orders were ignored. The suspect jumped into a car driven by another young man and fled the scene.

Officers quickly caught up to the suspects at a nearby intersection. However, when a deputy approached the teens “the teen driver turned his wheels and moved toward the officer, forcing her to jump out of the way.” The suspects were eventually apprehended by police at the intersection and were taken to Rappahannock Regional Jail. Four cans of computer duster were found in the suspects’ car.

Grocery Store Theft

From NewEraProgress.com in Amherst, Virginia

A 36 year-old woman has been charged with petit larceny (theft of objects below $50); inhaling noxious chemicals, and being drunk in public, after she stole several undisclosed items from a local Food Lion grocery store. Police arrested the woman- who was reportedly “huffing inhalants and intoxicated” outside of the store.

Car Crashes Into Pond in Virginia

From NBC 29 News in Charlottesville, Virgina:

A 23 year-old driver crashed his car into a pond. The car “struck a mailbox on the right shoulder. It crossed the eastbound lane, into a field, and down into the pond.”

Rescue crews noted that the driver had “huffed” from an aerosol can after the crash so state police are including the possibility of inhalant abuse into their investigation.

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.