Five Students Caught Huffing in Delaware

Via the Pocono Record in Delaware:

Five students in Delaware were charged for illegal use of solvents after they were caught huffing on a school bus.

Police learned that one of the students was supposed to be in an after-school program but instead walked to a nearby store to purchase computer duster. Three of the students huffed the duster on the way back to school. According to surveillance video, two additional students later inhaled the duster on a school bus.

Woman Slaps Bus Driver in Ireland

From the Herald in Ireland:

A 41 year-old woman “had been inhaling spray paint when she began shouting abuse on a Dublin Bus as it travelled through the leafy Dublin suburb of Castleknock.”

The passenger, upon being ordered by the driver to disembark, slapped the driver in the face. Police arrived and the arrested the passenger.

In the passenger’s defense, her attorney noted that she had been “under the influence of inhalants at the time” and “Her face was covered in spray paint. Most of her offences have been carried out under the influence of inhalants."

5 Teens Huffing on School Bus

From the Kingman Daily Miner in Arizona:

A school bus driver caught 5 male students huffing on the bus and notified school administrators. The school then contacted both the parents and the Sheriff's Office.

"The Northern Arizona Consolidated Fire District responded at 9 a.m. and treated the students. Three of the five were immediately taken with parental permission to the hospital as a precautionary measure. A fourth boy was transported by his parent, and eventually all five were treated at the hospital.”

Media Response to Students Huffing on Bus

CBS News 9 of Greenville, North Carolina has recently posted an article called, "Teens Caught Huffing: Why It's So Dangerous" in response to a March 26th incident at Richland High School.

Two 16-year-old students were ill on the school bus going home, and after they were dropped off another student told the bus driver that the two were inhaling from a can of computer duster. They were cited the following day for "inhaling toxic fumes and possession of a toxic substance."

The two students were not physically harmed by inhaling, but Dr. Electra Martin of a nearby hospital warns that,

"People can have brain damage, long lasting brain damage and it can even lead to death. It can cause heart arrhythmia which can cause death immediately."

She also recommends that parents look for "paint on hands and face. Clothes that aren't accounted for. If you have a runny nose. Sores around the mouth and nose."

This story follows one from last week; "Three Girls Huff on Bus, Become Ill". Perhaps it would be a good idea to include bus drivers in initiatives to raise awareness with educators and parents - many probably do not recognize the dangers of inhalant abuse or how to spot potential indicators: abusable products, side effects, or behaviors of students high on inhalants.

Three Girls Huff on Bus, Become Ill

In Rhea County, Tennessee, parents are becoming aware of a 'dusting' fad with their kids.

On April 9th, three girls aged 13-15 used a computer duster to get high on the bus on the way to school. Upon arrival, one of the girls began to throw up and was taken to a local medical center. Soon after, the two other girls became nauseous and threw up, and were also taken to the medical center.

The school's Resource Officer investigated and found out what happened. He confiscated the can of computer duster and charged the girls with inhaling the chemical for unlawful purposes amd took them to the Rhea County Juvenile Detention Center.

One of the girls needed to be taken back to the medical center after she was sick again. Judge Jim McKenzie then released the girls to their parents. On the subject of inhaling computer duster, he says that,

"This is the same as huffing propane — we had a kid die of that on the mountain a while back—gasoline, markers, White Out, anything like that. They are all against the law and most of them can kill you.”

He also suggested that parents keep an eye out for warning signs in their children, such as having multiple cans of computer duster or odd smells on their breath or clothes.

“I’d encourage parents to check their kids’ backpacks every day regardless of their age. If they find Dust-Off or glue or spray paint or a bunch of Magic Markers, they should call my office or the Rhea County Sheriff’s Department so we can get them some help.”

Story from The Herald-News.

Does Huffing and Driving Count as a DUI?

Lawmakers in Tennessee are working to treat driving under the influence of inhalants the same as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Police officers cite a recent case of a man crashing into a bus after inhaling duster.

There has been some confusion over whether or not driving after inhaling should count as a DUI or not.

Oak Ridge Republican Randy McNally says, "I guess there's a question on whether it's actually a drug or not, and this would make it crystal clear that it also includes inhalants that alter the nervous system."

McNally would also like for officers to note when inhalants were involved in a DUI arrest in order to gather data on inhalants' prevalence. He says that if the bill is passed and inhalants are proven to be commonly used, it may push the legislature to help curb the use.

Driving under the influence of an inhalant is by no means a rare occurence, and has been featured in this blog several times:

Huffing, Puffing, and Driving
Huffing Man Crashes Into Special Ed Bus
After Sonora Accident
Woman Hit By Huffing Driver
Arrest for DUI, Hit and Run
Inhalants and Driving
Police Against Drugged Driving
Driving Under the Influence (three stories)
Driver Arrested After Two Collisions

These all took place within the last two months.

Huffing on a Bus

A man in Lancaster, PA was arrested on Wednesday after huffing on a public bus and resisting arrest. One of the other passengers alerted a nearby police officer that a man was on the bus using inhalants. The police officer approached the man, who ran away towards a local Save-Mart. The officer caught up to him and with the help of an onlooker, took the man into custody. The charges include escape, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and illegal use of noxious substances.