17 Year Old Girl Killed in Vermont by Huffing Driver

Via Burlington Free Press in Vermont:

On Thursday, September 27^th, a Rutland High School student was killed by a driver under the influence of inhalants. As she climbed into her father’s vehicle after leaving work for the day, the young girl was crushed in between the two cars. The impact left her with multiple serious injuries ultimately leading to her death. Her father was also injured, as well as the two passengers in the offender’s vehicle. Police report finding alcohol and two aerosol cans in the bushes near by the crash, determined to have come from the driver of the speeding car.

The driver is facing one count of manslaughter, and “three counts of grossly negligent operation of a motor vehicle with serious bodily injury.” The arraignment will take place on Friday, September 28^th.

There has been an outpouring of support from the Rutland High School community, from school administrators, parents, and students alike. The day after the crash the students communicated to one another to wear white the next day out of respect for their classmate, in addition to a candle light vigil to be held the same night. School psychologists and teachers have also been asked to assist students with their grief.

 

ACE and SADD Partner on National Inhalant Curriculum

Via inhalant.org

ACE and SADD partnered to release a new resource aimed at fighting inhalant abuse among our nation's youth.

"The ACE/SADD 'Inhalant Abuse Prevention Facilitators Guide and Lesson Plan' targets middle school students led by high school peer leaders and is designed to educate the students on the dangers of "huffing" or using common household and commercial products to get high."

To view the guide and read more click here.

Don’t forget to like our Facebook page, Alliance for Consumer Education, to stay updated on the latest developments with the program and all of ACE’s activities!

Huffing Illinois Teen Driver Kills 5 Year Old

Via CBS Chicago in Illinois:

An 18 year old girl was recently charged with "reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence" killing a 5 year old child on Labor Day (September 3, 2012). The driver allegedly crossed multiple lanes of traffic before hitting the victim, and wounding three others. The young girl is suspected to have been huffing a computer spray cleaner.

Wisconsin Man Found Dead After Abusing Inhalants

Via the Leader-Telegram in Wisconsin:


On September 22nd a 30 year old man was found dead in his apartment after he had been huffing.

Police were called after a neighbor was unable to make contact with the man all day. The neighbor reported the man had a history of huffing, had recently purchased several cans of computer duster, and “may have also taken a can of bathroom cleaner from the neighbor’s apartment.”

The man was found in the bathroom next to a can of computer duster.

Huffing Behind The Wheel Can Lead to 5 Years in Prison

Via the Argus Leader in South Dakota:


Last month a 37 year old woman was arrested after an inhalant related crash. A witness noticed a car run into another vehicle in a mall parking lot and then saw the driver huff computer duster and then pass out behind the wheel.

The driver was indicted on “alternate counts of driving under the influence of an intoxicant other than an alcoholic beverage and one count of ingesting a substance for the purpose of becoming intoxicated.” And based on her three previous DUI convictions from 2003, 2005 and 2008 she is now eligible for "up to five years in the South Dakota State Women’s Prison for fourth-offense DUI."

Car Crashes Into House After Driver Huffs

Via the CuyaHoga Falls Patch in Ohio:


The police blotter notes that on September 15, a man admitted to huffing computer duster behind the wheel. His car crossed the lane, veered off the road, jumped a curb, and then drove over a lawn into a house. He was “cited for abusing harmful intoxicants and failure to control his vehicle.”

Wyoming Car Crash Caused by Huffing Dusters

Via the Ranger in Wyoming:


A 19 year old male was arrested this past weekend after an inhalant abuse related crash. The car veered off the street and struck a tree head-on. The driver fled but police found him walking nearly a mile away. He was charged with “driving under the influence and driving without a license.”

The report notes the man admitted to huffing computer duster behind the wheel, causing him to pass out and crash the car.”

14 Year Old Dies After Huffing Butane

Via the Times of Malta:


Police suspect inhaling lighter fluid led to the death of a 14 year old girl last Friday. The girl “fainted and died of cardiac arrest” but toxicology tests will confirm whether her death was “triggered by inhaling butane gas emitted by the lighter refill can.”

Reports state that the girl and her friend were huffing the inhalant on the roof when she fainted. Her friend started shouting and the girl’s mother responded and called an ambulance. The girl died shortly afterwards.

The article references the The 2011 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) which revealed that 14% of Fifth Form students used inhalants to get high, a sharp increase from the 9% recorded in 2007.

A memorial page has been set up on Facebook and can be accessed here:

Huffing Hairspray in a Wal-Mart bathroom

Via the Northwest Florida Daily News in Florida:

A 20 year old woman was arrested earlier this month after she was found huffing hairspray in a Wal-Mart restroom.


Employees noticed the woman had stolen hairspray and was huffing it. When deputies entered the restroom they “heard a spraying sound in the end stall and went to investigate.” They glanced over the stall and saw the woman with a towel in her hand and she was trying to place the hairspray container in the garbage next to her. She admitted to stealing the towel and hairspray “to get high.”

Huffing Behind the Wheel in New York

Via NewzJunky.com in New York:


A 21 year-old man has been arrested after allegedly huffing computer dusting spray behind the wheel.

According to the police report the driver crossed into oncoming traffic striking a car, crossed three more lanes of oncoming traffic and then “bounced over a curb onto a sidewalk and destroyed a National Grid utility box.” The car then “continued down a sidewalk sideswiping guardrails and then re-entered oncoming traffic” before coming to a stop.

Deputies found the can of dust remover “ice cold and dripping condensation consistent with improper use.” The driver has been charged with unsafe lane change, failure to keep right, failure to obey a traffic control device, passing a red arrow, defective brakes and driving wrong way around a traffic island.”

Ohio Woman Passes Out At Yogurt Shop After Huffing Dusters

Via the Solon Patch in Ohio:


A 33 year-old woman was arrested and charged with “abusing a harmful intoxicant, a fifth-degree felony.” She passed out on the patio of a yogurt shop after huffing from a can of computer duster.

90 Year Old Woman Killed in Inhalant Crash

Via Wane.com in Indiana:


A 32 year-old woman has been charged with two felony counts of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide and one misdemeanor count of Child Endangering after an inhalant abuse related crash last month. Police concluded she had been huffing before the accident and a 90 year old motorist was killed in the resulting crash.

Texas Man Huffs Behind the Wheel and Crawls Out the Window

Via KNGB in Texas:

A 28 year-old male was arrested late last week after he was found to have been huffing computer dusting spray behind the wheel. 

The officer noticed a car turn sharply into a parking lot in front of him when “the man then began a left hand turn that turned into a complete circle, all while the driver (with the vehicle still rolling) began crawling out of the driver’s side window.  The car came to an abrupt stop, but only after the man had one leg out and was halfway out of the window.”

When he had crawled out the window the driver admitted he had been huffing dusters.  He was arrested and charged with “Class B misdemeanor of possession and use of an inhalant and with driving with an invalid license. “

17 Year Old Nevada Teen Dead After Huffing Dusters

Via the Elko Daily Free Press in Nevada:

A17 year old male has died, a week after passing out after huffing computer dusting spray.  He immediately went on life support, remained in a coma for a week and was removed from life support this past Saturday.