DuPont Announces New Technology to Discourage Inhalant Abuse

DuPont has announced a patented technology that allows duster manufacturers and retailers to make and sell products that discourage inhalant abuse.This announcement was made in conjunction with the 20^th annual National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week.

According to the company, “The new technology is based on an additive that can enhance the safety of duster products by deterring abusers from concentrating and inhaling them.” ACE is proud that DuPont is committed to educating the public about the dangers of inhalant abuse.

Update: Woman Sentenced for Helping Children Abuse Inhalants

Via The Republic in Indiana

The 18-year-old Nebraska woman from a previous post who helped two children abuse inhalants has been sentenced to one year in jail. She had been found guilty “on two counts of child abuse and two counts of aiding and abetting inhaling an intoxicant.” The woman was supervising children during an after-school program in February when she “inhaled propellants from empty whipped cream cans and a can of electronics cleaner, and helped two children inhale from the cans.”

Inhalant Abuse Study Yields New Data

A study released Monday shows several trends in inhalant abuse over a 15-year period. Using National Poison Data System data from 60 U.S. poison centers, the journal Pediatrics published the"Inhalant Abuse: Monitoring Trends by Using Poison Control Data, 1993-2008" examines 35, 453 inhalant abuse cases reported from 1993 to 2008. Of these cases, people reported over 3,400 different products that were then divided into 200 individual categories.

The data indicates the following:

Age/Gender

• Among 12-17-year olds users, 14-years old was the year of peak use
• Male users accounted for 73.5% of cases reported
• Propellants were abused more among 12-17 age group
• 6-11 year olds more commonly abused gasoline
• Propellant use doubled between 2002 and 2007 among the 12-17 age range, up from 7.6 %to 14.6%
• Teenage use dropped one third
• Lifetime use among teens was between 10%-15%

Products misused most often

• Alcohol (23%), marijuana (12.8%) were most commonly mixed with inhalants
• 1993: paint was most reported; 2008: propellants (i.e. duster)
• Propellants, gasoline, and paint accounted for 39% of cases reported

Trends

• Propellant reporting increased threefold between 2003 and 2008. Duster accounted for 58% of these cases.
• 67.8% of reports were managed in health care facilities
• Butane (58.1%), propane (25.9%), air fresheners (21.8%) abuse had the highest fatality rates
• 2003 reported the lowest number of cases, down 54% from 1993
• UT, NM, WY, SD and WV reported the most cases
• Reporting remained steady after 2003

You can view the abstract here.