Inhalant Abuse in Nebraska

From the Grand Island Independent in Nebraska

This was an excellent article on the dangers of inhalant abuse.

The piece starts off with a firsthand account of what inhalant abuse was like from the point of the user. Inhaling from a computer duster was described as a “light-headed feeling punctuated with a "whah-whah-whah" sound.” The anonymous user noted that he started using inhalants “after seeing "some older kids doing it." He also admitted that would get the can of duster at Wal-Mart and he chose dusters because “it was easy to find and it was cheap.”

However, his perspective of inhalant abuse as a fun activity changed drastically after he “passed out while driving and totaled his car.”

The article then discusses a conversation with a local drug recognition expert. The expert notes there have been a number of “huffing and inhaling cases in Grand Island, many of which involve middle and high school students.” Additionally, “recently, he has seen kids as young as 9 or 10 years old using inhalants such as spray paints.” He states, “It’s likely the younger students are imitating their older peers or they simply think the products smell good and don't realize they are harming themselves.”

He also notes that he has worked on at least four vehicle accidents (including one fatality) where inhalant abuse was identified as a contributing factor. He expresses concern that there are more that occur but that inhalant abuse isn’t recognized.

We are very appreciative that Sgt. Hilderbrand took the time to point out that huffing from computer dusters is not harmless. He clarifies that it is not “just canned air” in the container. The product contains difluoroethane, “a chemical that causes a high by robbing the brain of oxygen.”

The article discusses the effects of using inhalants: long-term, irreversible organ damage and even death. The value and importance of family involvement in each case is also highlighted and state statues regarding inhalant abuse are identified: “according to state statute, it is unlawful for anyone to breathe, inhale or drink any compound, liquid or chemical containing a substance such as acetate, acetone or butyl alcohol for the purpose of inducing intoxication, stupefaction, giddiness, excitement or irrational behavior, or in any manner changing, distorting, or disturbing the auditory, visual, mental, or nervous processes.”