3 Hollywood Students Hospitalized

From KABC News Los Angeles, California:

Early Friday morning, 3 North Hollywood teens were hospitalized for abusing air freshener.

Madison county middle schools have recognized the “Silent Epidemic” as an ongoing issue among today’s youths. LAUSD Impact Advisor, Antonio Roque, notes the importance of communication among parents and children can help minimize the number of occurrences each year.

Please Click Here to View the Video.

Five Female Teens Caught Huffing

From LAFD News & Information in Los Angeles, California:

Battalion County School officials and local police caught five teenage girls huffing an unknown substance on Wednesday. The teens experienced impairments in their judgment, sense of reality, and overall ability to process information sufficiently.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) notes the importance of communication and education surrounding youths in light of the recent number of duster deaths. LAFD encourages parents to take a more active role in the programs presently in place within local school districts to assist in educating others on the impact this issue has on consumer education.

According to the Partnership for Drug Free America “inhalant abuse has increased by 44 percent in over the last year within middle schools alone”.

Driver Huffs and then Crashes into Mom and Baby

From the Billings Gazette in Montana:

Last November a 16 year-old male driver “lost control of his car and struck a woman and toddler on a sidewalk.” He had told the judge he had been text messaging when the accident occurred.

Later it was revealed that he “may have blacked out while huffing” computer dusting spray. The Deputy County Attorney noted he “may also have been trying to send a text message immediately before the accident, but phone records did not show any activity on the phone at the time.”

The driver explained that he had been huffing in the car with a friend. He dropped his friend off at home and “wanted to have one more hit.” The next thing he knew he had struck a woman and her 15-month-old son.

The child “suffered a broken leg and concussion and was in intensive care for 3 days.” The mom “suffered a fractured hand and concussion.”

The driver was sentenced to a youth detention facility until he turns 18. He was also ordered to pay a total of $3,350 in restitution, attend a treatment program and write a letter of apology to the victim.”

Repeat Huffer Arrested Again

From WTOV9 in Steubenville, OH :

A repeat huffer has been arrested once again after “receiving a call about a hitchhiker whose face was covered in paint.” Police arrested the man after they found he had been huffing spray paint.

The article links to previous cases where he was arrested: 3 cases in 2006, 2 in 2007, and one previous one last July.

Drano-Sniffing Teen Also Making Meth

From KSPR News in Springfield, Missouri:

Last January police responded to an emergency call at a house in Buford, Arkansas. The report was for a teen "huffing Drano and consuming a large amount of alcohol."

While at the home, police observed several substances commonly used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine, as well as a handwritten 'recipe' for cooking methamphetamine.”

Mom Huffs Paint In Front Of Children

From WTAJ in Pennsylvania:

A mother of two small children (ages 2 and 5) has been “found guilty of child endangerment” after allegedly huffing paint in front of her children last October.

Both children now live with their father.

Brothers Pass Out in Parking Lot

From the Wheeling Intelligencer in West Virginia:

Two brothers passed out in a parking lot after inhaling computer dusters. When police responded the men were “non-responsive” and they found “one brother bleeding from his head, while the other had vomit on his pants.”

While the police officers called for medical assistance, one of the men “regained consciousness and continued inhaling the contents of one of the cans.” The man’s mother “quickly pulled the can from his hand and slammed it to the ground.”

The mother noted she had come out of the store to find the brothers huffing cans of computer dusting sprays. Three cans were found on the scene. The men refused medical treatment and were each “charged with one count each of misdemeanor inhaling intoxicants.”

Man Arrested Four Times in One Month for Huffing

From the Anderson Independent Mail in South Carolina:

A 36 year-old man has already been arrested for huffing related incidents four times this month- yet he refuses to stop.

He remarked, “If they keep on making (spray paint), I’ll keep on sniffing it.” He also noted, “When I try to stay away from it, it comes after me twice as hard.”

He was arrested on Monday for “inhaling aromatic hydrocarbons” after being found “with a plastic bag in one hand, spray paint in the other and silver paint around his nose, mouth and his face.”

He pleaded no contest and was “ordered to pay a fine of $362.50 or spend 30 days in jail.”

Previously, he was arrested on March 4th after police found him “standing on the side of the road with a yellow plastic bag with silver paint all over the bag and over his mouth and nose.” On March 5th, he was arrested “on railroad tracks for the same drug charge.”

Then on the 12th he was charged with “inhalation of aromatic hydrocarbons” after he was caught “with silver spray paint and a plastic bag.”

Woman Huffing Duster at Red Light

From the Eagle Tribune in North Andover, Massachusetts:

On Monday, a 35-year-old New Hampshire woman was arrested for huffing computer duster as she sat in her car at a stoplight.

The police report notes that when the light turned green, the officer behind her “beeped his horn but the car did not move.” When the officer pulled up alongside the car, he saw that the driver’s head was down and she was “placing the nozzle of the can into her mouth and depressing the trigger.”

She was arrested and charged with illegally inhaling toxic vapors. Besides the can she was inhaling, they found another full can in the car.

The officer also recognized her from a similar "huffing" incident last Friday in which she also was arrested.

Helena Montana-Active on Inhalant Abuse Prevention

From the Helena Independent Record in Montana:

For National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week, the region’s Youth Connections Coalition provided all Helena elementary schools with lessons on inhalant use. The group is also working on educating local merchants so “they can be part of the solution.”

The article points out that “according to a 2008 survey of Helena’s middle and high school students, 170 reported sniffing glue, breathing the contents of an aerosol spray can, or inhaling other gases or sprays in order to get high.”

Paquelet Brown, a mom of two teens, noted, “They aren’t considered a drug because they are helpful products around the house. Improperly used, they can be very dangerous. This is not something we think to talk about, but we should, because as parents, we are the front-line defense for our kids. Education is the key to prevention.”

A nurse remarked,“Huffing is not new. But I don’t think people realize the brain damage it causes.”

Through a patient she worked with at a nursing home over 30 years ago, she saw the effects of inhalant abuse. “He was a beautiful, healthy kid that was devastated because of huffing,” she said, adding he couldn’t speak or control his bladder.

The groups also notes that they are “available to present inhalant awareness information to any organization. Call 324-1032 to schedule a time.”

Middle Schooler Taken to Hospital After Huffing Highlighter

From the Northwest Florida Daily News in Fort Walton Beach:

A middle school student was taken to Bridgeway Center and then the hospital after “she appeared to be under the influence of something during school hours.”

The report notes she “told the principal she was huffing highlighters. She also said she wanted to kill herself.”

Inhalant Press Conference

From The Talk Radio News Service:

The article recaps yesterday’s news conference that kicked off the 17th annual National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week.

It starts by quoting NIPC Executive Director Harvey Weiss “Why is this important? There are a couple facts to keep in mind: Inhalants are the first drug a young person will experiment with, even before alcohol, marijuana, and meth. And that’s why it’s considered a gateway drug. Inhalants are more addictive than cocaine or amphetamines”

He also points out that “statistics show that 17.2% of youth ages 12-17 first experiment with drugs by sniffing household products.”

Dr. Tim Condon, Deputy Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, then “shared the results of this year’s “Monitoring the Future” survey. The statistics showed, “9% of 8th graders have used inhalants in the past year. That’s phenomenal, and of course our 8th graders, the youngest… are those who are using the most.”

Dr Condon also noted, “Disturbing news: The first data point was that there was a decrease of perceived risk of inhalants regularly between 8th graders from 2007 to 2008… Not only that but the disapproval rate among young people actually decreased as well.” Decrease in perceived risk and simultaneous decrease of disapproval is usually indicative of a future increase in the use of the drug. “

The article then highlights the work of Dana Prothro, a mother who lost her 19 year-old daughter to inhalants. In 2007, her daughter tried to get high using household air-conditioner fluid, and the event was tragically fatal. Prothro has successfully lobbied to change air-conditioner model codes; the guidelines now call for locking caps on outside refridgerant access points. “We now need the states to incorporate these 2009 model codes into their building codes. This is a crucial fight to prevent deaths and injury due to refridgerant huffing,” she explained.

Los Angeles Seeks to Ban Sale of Whippets to Minors

From Jean’s Freelancing II Blog post:

The press release is regarding an effort by Assemblyman Torlakson and Los Angeles City Attorney to “work with parents and schools to prohibit the sale of “whippets” to minors. Whippets are small containers of nitrous intended for home use in whipped cream charging bottles.

The release quotes a study showing “15.7% of eighth graders, 12.8% of tenth graders, and 9.9% of twelfth graders reported use of inhalants.”
Torlakson, a teacher, notes "At about 25 cents each, whippets are too easy for our kids to buy. That is why we have seen kids as young as third-graders begin to abuse nitrous oxide.”

Project HAPPY in Ohio

From Courier.Com in Findlay, Ohio:

A group of 16 teens in Hancock County have set out to increase awareness of inhalant abuse in their community. They stepped up efforts after a “young driver got into a serious car crash while she was huffing.”

Together, as part of Project HAPPY (Hancock Addiction Prevention Program for Youth) they have been querying area businesses to find out whether they “had established guidelines regarding the sale of inhalants to minors.”

They found that “three stores had written policies which prohibited sales of inhalants to those under 18, two other stores didn't have a policy, but were "open to" developing one, while the sixth business has yet to respond to the group's request for information.” The group is now looking to “review the existing policies and to develop a "model" policy that would be made available to other businesses in the community.”

Carol Taylor, prevention coordinator for the Family Resource Centers noted that “Inhalants are the fourth most common substance abused by Hancock County teens-with only alcohol, tobacco and marijuana more popular.”

New National Inhalant Data

The results of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health’s “Trends in Adolescent Inhalant Use: 2002 to 2007” were released today at a press conference in Washington, DC.

The report noted:

• In 2007, almost 1.0 million adolescents used inhalants in the past year.
  
• The percentage of adolescents (youths aged 12 to 17) who used inhalants in the past year was lower in 2007 (3.9%) than in 2003 (4.5%), 2004 (4.6%), and 2005 (4.5%).
  
• Among first time users in the past year, the rate of use of nitrous oxide or “whippits” declined between 2002 and 2007 for both male and females. (males 40.2% to 20.2%)(females (22.3 to 12.2%)


• Use of aerosol spray other than spray paint was higher in 2007 than 2002 (25% versus 12.6%)


• In 2007, 17.2% of adolescents who initiated illicit drug use during the past year indicated that inhalants were the first drug they used. This rate remained relatively stable between 2002 and 2007.


• In 2007, 2.1% of adolescents who had not previously used inhalants began using them during the 12 months prior to the survey.

Thank you Bowie High School

Also in Maryland, Bowie High School is displaying the following message on their outdoor marquee in from of the school. A thank you goes out to Bowie High as well!

Thank you Giant store # 310 in Bowie, Maryland

We are happy to see communities already engaged in National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week activities.

A consumer in Maryland just let us know that our Inhalant Abuse Prevention brochure is on the counter at her local Giant Food store. She was able to snap a photo and send it took us .

Thank you Giant store # 310 in Bowie, Maryland for recognizing the importance of this issue:

Man Stopped Third Time in Same Day

From Winona Daily News in Minnesota:

A 38 year-old St. Paul, Minn. man “was charged last week with three felonies for crashing into a line of parked cars in June while under the influence of marijuana and inhalants.”

When officers responded they noted the driver’s thought process appeared to be “fuzzy” and his demeanor and mannerisms were slow.” The accident was “the third time” he “had been stopped for driving suspiciously in the same day.”

The article notes that “a deputy trained to recognize drug use determined he was also under the influence of an inhalant at the time of the crash.”

Product Banned in Pittsburgh Club

From ThePittsburghChannel.com:

A club in Pittsburgh “will not face charges in the death of a customer, but it's being warned to keep certain chemical products out of the building.”

A 31-year old man was found dead in one of the private rooms of the club and three cans of VCR cleaner were found with the body.

Knox County Kicks off NIPAW

From the Galesburg Register Mail in Illinois:

The Illicit Drug Task Force of the Knox County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition is working to reduce inhalant abuse in their community.

On Saturday, to kick of National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week, the group will be at Wal-Mart from 9 am – 12 pm “passing out information and displaying some commonly abused products. They also will encourage parents and grandparents to talk to children about inhalants.”

The 2008 Illinois Youth Survey revealed that the “almost one in ten” 6th, 8th and 10th graders in Knox County has abused inhalants. Additionally “about 95% of parents believe their child has never abused inhalants.”

Jeff Williams to Speak at Virginia Hospital

From Daily Press in Newport News, Virginia:

Jeff Williams, a father who lost his son Kyle to inhalant abuse, will be in Virginia Monday for a discussion at the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters.

Inhalant Use: Is Your Child at Risk? 7-9 p.m. Free

• CHKD Health and Surgery Center, Oyster Point, 11783 Rock Landing Drive.
• Sgt. Jeff Williams, an Ohio K-9 officer who lost his 14-year-old son to inhalant use, will explain what inhalants are, how they are abused, the damage they do, signs and symptoms of use, and how to talk to your child about it.
• Co-sponsors: CHKD and Kohl's Department Stores.
• Call 668-7500 or register online at www.chkd.org/classes.

First Nation Gets First Conviction Under Inhalant Bylaw

From the Sault Star in Sault Ste-Marie, Ontario, Canada

On Monday, a 31year-old woman pleaded guilty to “bringing two 3.78 litre cans of lacquer” into the First Nation community.

This marks the first conviction under a March 2008 bylaw that “prohibits the sale, manufacture, possession and consumption of inhalants in Wabaseemoong First Nation.” The article notes that the bylaw was enacted "to protect the community and the community members against the injurious effects of intoxicating substance abuse."

Man Passes Out After Huffing Dusters at Wal-Mart

From WFIE in Evansville, Illinois:

Earlier this week a man passed out after huffing computer dusting spray at Wal-Mart.

After regaining consciousness, he was detained by store security and is now banned from the store. Police note that “Wal-Mart officials did not want to press charges, but he could still be charged with the misdemeanor charge of "inhaling toxic vapors."

Four Teens Crash Car After Huffing During Lunch Break

From LocalNews8.com in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Yesterday afternoon, four high school students crashed their car into a utility pole after huffing computer dusting spray during their lunch break.

The article notes that “one student suffered a head laceration” and that the “female driver is being charged with driving under the influence and all four students might face additional charges for huffing fumes.”

Car Crashes Into Arbys After Driver Huffs

From MLive in Michigan:

This past Tuesday, a 19 year old woman “lost control of her van and crashed into the dining room of the Spring Lake Arby's.”

The Police Chief said, “investigating officers found a can of computer dusting spray in the van and confronted the driver, who admitted she had just taken a hit of the aerosol while driving.” The article continues “She apparently blacked out and struck the rear end of a car before careening across the lane and crashing through the restaurant.”

“The accident shattered tables and chairs, buckled the west wall of the restaurant and left a gaping hole in the southwest corner of the building. Fortunately, however, no one was injured.

“The restaurant was closed Wednesday as employees cleaned up debris. Restaurant workers said they are hoping to have the restaurant repaired and up and running later this month.”

The Police Chief remarked, "If that restaurant had been filled with people, we potentially could have had looking at many deaths. We got off lucky."

The driver faces a “90-day misdemeanor charges of using an inhalant and reckless driving.”

The piece also recalls another inhalant related fatality in the same area in 2006. A 19 year-old man was found dead in a condominium swimming pool.

Inhalant Abuse Increases in Connecticut

From TheDay in New London, Connecticut:

The results of the Groton Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (GASP)’s youth substance abuse survey were released. The survey was administered to students in both middle and high school in May 2008.

Shockingly, while “most substance abuse appeared to be trending downward” inhalant abuse among 7th and 8th graders inhalant use increased from 2004 to 2008.”

Info on Inhalant Abuse

From the KungFuChem Blog:

Its “Inhalants Class” blog states:

• Inhalants are among the most dangerous of abused substances.
• All inhalants are dangerous despite wide variations in their chemistry
• With some inhalants the amount needed to produce a recreational effect is close to a fatal dose, and deadly outcomes demonstrate that the difference was too close for some deceased users to handle.
• Some users act as if they do not realize they need a continual supply of oxygen, and they administer inhalants in ways that cause suffocation.
  
• In addition to all these acute dangers, long-term use of many inhalants can produce nerve damage, impairing the ability to use arms and legs and hands and feet, damage verified scientifically.
• Another type of long-term damage appears to be assorted types of psychoses.
• Inhalant users can develop states of mind interfering with—or even preventing—their ability to function in society.
  
• Admittedly, some users avoid serious outcomes, just as some car drivers run red lights without harm. Escape, however, does not mean that danger should be disregarded.
  
• Generally, adult drug users shun most inhalants except as a choice of desperation if nothing else is available.
• Inhalant users tend to be teenagers or younger
• Sniffing is often a social event with acquaintances rather than a solitary pastime.
• As the 1960s began, the average age among 130 glue sniffers in Denver was 13.
• In this group 124 were male; most were lower-class Hispanics in trouble with school or law enforcement authorities; many had emotional problems.
  
• Another study found glue sniffers to have personalities matching those of alcoholics.
• Gasoline sniffers are often emotionally deprived teens from troubled families, typically living lower-class lives in rural areas, often members of native populations whose cultures havebeen devastated (American Indians in the United States, aborigines in Australia, Island peoples in the Pacific).
• Case studies of butane sniffers tell of lonely persons with difficulties at school or at home.
• A psychological test of 59 inhalant abusers found them to be impulsive persons with little respect for authority.
• Most research finds inhalant users to be unhappy persons marginalized by society.
• Yet not all researchers find that inhalant users are social misfits from dysfunctional families; some appear to be ordinary persons, though still youthful.
• For information about specific inhalants, see alphabetical listings for: butane,ether, refrigerant, gasoline, mothballs, nitrite, nitrous oxide, TCE, and toluene

Possible Inhalant Related Death on Guam

From the Pacific Daily News on Guam:

The remains of what appears to be a 19-year old man who had been reported missing have been located.

The article notes, “a can of butane was found on the scene, but it is impossible to test if the man had been abusing the inhalant because of the decomposition.”

Worker Taken to Hospital After Inhalant Related Spill

From the Boston Globe:

Yesterday afternoon, “Upon moving a vile of isobutyl nitrite that was being stored as evidence at the warehouse, workers spilled about an ounce of the substance.” The article notes that the substance is used as an “inhalant recreational drug.”

One worker was sent to the hospital for evaluation after feeling lightheaded. The “Fire Department's hazardous materials team investigated and disposed of the substance within two hours.”

Man Arrested for Huffing-2nd Time, Same Spot

From The Northwest Florida Daily News in Fort Walton Beach:

A 24-year old man was found unconscious in the middle of a road. When police responded the man told them he had been huffing computer dusters.

“He also admitted that he was unable to stop huffing.” “The officer asked if the man was trying to hurt himself. The man assured the deputy that he was not.”

The arrest report notes that the “same man was found earlier in the day - unconscious, in the same location - also because he had ingested too much compressed gas.”

The first time he had been taken to the hospital and “went back to the same location where he had been found, purchased two more cans of Dust Off, and began to huff.”

He faces “misdemeanor charges of inhalation and ingestion of a harmful chemical substance.

NIPAW Inhalant Resources from SAMHSA

National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week (NIPAW) is March 15-21, 2009.

Please click on the following image to reach SAMSHA Health Information Network's NIPAW website. On the site, you'll find information for both parents and teens.

Also let us know what your community is doing in honor of NIPAW this year!

Effects of Toluene (Methylbenzene)

From the Kungfuchem Blog:

• Toluene is a common component in gasoline, glues, and paint products (including nail polish).
• Recreational use is by inhaling vapor from toluene, often in a group setting. Toluene intoxication lasts longer than intoxication from assorted other inhalants.
• Some actions of toluene are comparable to alcohol. Toluene can relax users, cheer them up, and produce hallucinations. Mood may change and become unpleasant, however, often in response to content of hallucinations.
• People may have delusions of nonexistent abilities to fly or swim or that they must obey commands from some entity. Real-world scenes may seem more brightly lit than normal. Time may be perceived as passing faster. People may feel confused and dizzy and experience difficulty with balance and with controlling their limbs.
  
• Volunteers who inhaled toluene fumes experienced headache, eye discomfort, and lower performance on tests of thinking ability.
• Recreational users have reported slowness in thinking, and they have scored lower in intelligence testing than nonusers do.
  
• Dementia can be a consequence of the habit.
• Sniffers may also experience nausea, appetite loss, tremors, speech difficulty, double vision, and ringing in the ears.
• Daily abuse for several years may cause significant problems in mobility; those symptoms may mimic beriberi.
• Brain, lung, eye, and liver injury can occur in recreational users.
• Investigators find that some physical damage may improve if exposure to toluene stops, although brain damage may be permanent.
• High blood pressure is reported in blood circulating through the lungs.
  
• Controversy exists about whether cardiac injury occurs, although a case report notes a
  heart attack suffered after a teenager sniffed toluene.
• Anemia and other changes in blood composition may develop, changes affecting males and females in different ways. For example, in one study of persons chronically exposed to the substance, women had higher blood cholesterol levels than normal, and men had lower levels than normal.
• Chronic abuse can deplete a person’s potassium levels; such depletion can damage muscles and produce irregular heartbeat.
  
• The chemical may produce a kidney malfunction called renal tubular acidosis, which might lead to rickets. Renal tubular acidosis can have fatal complications, but case reports indicate the condition can clear up if a victim stops toluene sniffing.
  
• Regular exposure can be dangerous enough, but an overdose can create a medical emergency.
• In humans an overdose can dangerously speed up the heart, cause seizures and convulsions, and produce coma.
• Fatalities occur.
• An unusual hazard comes from the chemical’s ability to increase salivation; in one case, a semiconscious person nearly drowned in his own saliva as it flowed into his lungs.
  
• The liquid can be absorbed through skin and may cause skin irritation.
• Toluene is flammable, thus hazardous around flames or burning cigarettes.
• Dependence is reported in humans, with a withdrawal syndrome including queasiness,perspiring, facial tics and abdominal cramps, peevishness, and difficulty with sleep. Symptoms last for several days.

A Survey of Inhalant Use Disorders among Delinquent Youth

Via 7th Space Interactive:

The synopsis notes: “Many youth in the juvenile justice system have used inhalants, but little is known about inhalant use disorders (IUDs) in antisocial youth populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence, clinical features, and latent structure of DSM-IV IUDs in a state population of antisocial youth."

Methods: Cross-sectional survey conducted in 2003. Of 740 youth residing in Missouri State Division of Youth Services' (MDYS) residential treatment facilities at the time the study was conducted, 723 (97.7%) completed interviews.

Eighty-seven percent were male, with a mean age of 15.5 (SD = 1.2). Nearly 4 in 10 youth (38.5 %; n = 279) reported lifetime inhalant use.

Youth ranged from very mildly to severely antisocial.Results: Of 279 inhalant users, 52 (18.6 %) met DSM-IV inhalant abuse criteria and 79 (28.3 %) met inhalant dependence criteria. Five of 10 IUD criteria were met by >10 % of the total sample.Latent class analyses demonstrated a substantial concordance between DSM-IV-defined IUDs and an empirically-derived classification based on responses to DSM-IV IUD diagnostic criteria.

Conclusions: IUDs and constituent criteria were prevalent among youth in the juvenile justice system.Two groups of problem inhalant users were identified, symptomatic users-DSM-IV inhalant abuse and highly symptomatic users-DSM-IV inhalant dependence, which differed primarily in severity of inhalant-related problems. Inhalant screening, prevention and treatment efforts in juvenile justice settings are rarely delivered, but critically needed

Virginia Group Nationally Recognized for Inhalant Prevention

From Midlothian Exchange in Virginia:

Congratulations to Substance Abuse Free Environment Inc., (SAFE) for being named a Got Outcomes! Coalition of Excellence award winner by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.

SAFE was recognized for their success in decreasing inhalant abuse in their community. Their efforts resulted in a “44 percent decline in inhalant use among eighth-graders between 2005 and 2007.”

Effects of Nitrous Oxide

From a blog post: “Nitrous Oxide (Dinitrogen, Monoxide, Dinitrogen Oxide, Entonox)":

• The substance disrupts learning ability. In a typical experiment volunteers who inhaled a low dose of the drug showed worsened reaction time, worsened ability to do arithmetic, and general sedation accompanied by nervous system depression (as opposed to stimulation).
• Interference with driving ability has been noted one-half hour after a dose.
• Short-term exposure can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and breathing difficulty.
• Some recreational users quickly inhale as much nitrous oxide as possible and hold their breath. This technique causes a sudden change of pressure inside the lungs and can rupture small interior structures needed for breathing.
• Blood pressure can go up or down, depending on dosage. Users can lose consciousness, which may be hazardous in a recreational context due to falls or inability to shut off the gas source.
• The substance deactivates vitamin B12, an effect that can cause numbness and difficulty in moving arms and legs.
• Other results can be impotence and involuntary discharge of urine and feces.
• Nitrous oxide interferes with blood clotting, and long-term exposure has caused blood abnormalities.
• Persons with chronic industrial exposure have more kidney and liver disease than usual.
• Nitrous oxide can become very cold when released as a gas from a pressurized container, cold enough to cause frostbite upon meeting skin or throat.
• Breathing nitrous oxide without an adequate supply of oxygen can be fatal; a little in a closed space or a lot from a face mask can suffocate a user.
• Although nitrous oxide is called nonflammable, when inhaled it can seep into the abdominal cavity and bowels, mixing with body gases to create a flammable combination. If ignited the result would be like setting off an explosive inside the body; the danger is real enough that surgical personnel administeringnitrous oxide as an anesthetic have been warned about it.

UPDATE:

Check out this website or this website for more research about nitrous oxide abuse.

Inhalant Abuse Referenced in Murder Case

From the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, Minnesota:

The article describes a case in which a 14 year-old boy killed a 4 year-old girl. At the time the boy “became the youngest juvenile in Minnesota to be certified as an adult and sent to state prison.”

Now, “exactly 14 years to the day” the girl was killed, he is scheduled to be released.

The article also references the boy’s early use of inhalants:

He “told investigators he began abusing a head-spinning array of drugs and inhalants by age 11. He also "sniffed gasoline, Glade, paint thinner, Whiteout, spray paint, rubber and model cement,'' according to court papers.”

Inhalant Abuse Decreases in Chicago Suburb

From the Chicago Daily Herald in Illinois:

The Illinois Youth Survey has revealed that “fewer Lake County students in middle and high schools are using alcohol, marijuana, inhalants and cigarettes.”

“Middle school students' 30-day use Inhalant use went from 9 percent in 2006 to 7 percent in 2008.”

Inhalant Abuse in India

From Times of India in New Delhi:

The headmaster of a high school in the Baragian area of the state capital is concerned about inhalant abuse in his school.

The article notes, “Students, including ex-students, have fallen to addiction of adhesives and often steal articles from the school and surrounding areas to buy adhesive stick and glue.”

The headmaster remarked, "To purchase the glue stick, the students stole the wall clock of my cabin, lifted bicycles of teachers and students, the brass school bell, utensils, rods from benches, wires and several other things. They sell these to scrap dealers."

Inhalant Abuse in Arkansas-new data

From the Northwest Arkansas Times in Fayetteville, Arkansas

The results of the 2008 Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment survey (6th, 8th, 10th, 12th grades) for Region 1, which encompasses Washington, Madison, Benton and Carroll counties, were recently revealed.

The article noted that “According to the results, students living in rural areas are more likely to abuse drugs such as alcohol, prescription drugs and inhalants.” Additionally, “Inhalant use among adolescents exceeds the national average in all four counties of Region 1.”

Huffing Related Bill Fails to Make it Out of Committee in Washington

From KIRO TV in Seattle,Washington

A bill “that would make it a crime to sell nitrous oxide canisters, or whippets, to teenagers so they can get high” didn’t make it out of committee due to budget constraints. The bill “adds nitrous oxide to the states list of illegal inhalants (with exceptions for professionals like dentists)”

State representative Al Obrien drafted the bill after seeing a Team 7 hidden-camera investigation focused on the sale of crackers, cases of inhalants and balloons to 16-year-old students. The article notes that Washington state remains “one of the few states that refuse to regulate nitrous or “huffing” kits.”

Former Corrections Officer Arrested for Huffing Related Crash

From The News Press in Ft. Myers, Florida

On Saturday, a 32 year-old former state corrections officer was arrested after an inhalant related hit-and-run crash.

Police officers responded to a report of a “man asleep at the wheel.” When officers arrived they saw that it was the “same truck that had been involved minutes before in an accident.”

The report notes that the driver seemed “out of it, like he didn’t know what was going on.” Inside the car they found three cans of computer dust cleaner. He was placed in jail overnight and released on $500 bond.

New Inhalant Data from the Partnership for Drug-Free America

From Opposing Viewpoints:

The Partnership for a Drug Free America recently released the results of its 2008 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS). Within the findings, some startling new inhalant related data:

Pre-teen and teen inhalant use remains steady at 11% for past year use, yet only 66% of teens report that “sniffing or huffing things to get high can kill you.”

Prison Sentence for Huffing Related Crash

From the Oregonian in Portland, Oregon:

A 23 year-old woman was recently sentenced to more than 8 years in prison for an inhalant-related car crash in August that killed a 16 year-old girl. The girl had been a passenger in her car.

The woman is a mother of two children under the age of 3 and she admitted to huffing nitrous oxide while driving. She then “blacked out and crashed into a tree about 12 feet off the roadway.” A third passenger suffered a broken leg while the fourth sustained internal injuries.

The woman was sentenced to “more than six years in prison for manslaughter and 13-month sentences for each of two assault charges. Her one year sentence for driving under the influence will be served at the same time she is serving her other sentences.”

Toxic Terry and Data from the UK

Via the Re-Solv to Solvent and Volatile Substance Abuse’s Google Group:

“Toxic Terry” is a 36 year old homeless man known for “drinking petrol and sniffing lighter fluid” and he is “currently serving a four-month jail term.” He is developing a large cult following through Facebook and other social media sites which many find problematic.

Steve Lambert, director of volatile substance abuse charity Re-Solv, notes that the man’s problems “are a "tragedy" which should not be celebrated.” Lambert continues, "I think that rather than looking up to this person they should be saying this is the tragedy of a life destroyed. The message should be about what solvents can do to you.”

Lambert also highlighted the frightening fact that “on average, solvent abuse claims the life of one person every week in the United Kingdom."

Driver Huffs Liquid Latex Solvent

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in Pennsylvania:

A 25 year-old man “pleaded guilty today to driving a car while drunk and high that crashed into a utility pole, killing an 18-year-old passenger.”

The police report notes that he “admitted huffing a liquid latex solvent to get high just moments before the crash on Aug. 13, 2007.”

22 Year-Old Found Huffing Computer Dusters

From the Beaver County Times in Pennsylvania:

A 22 year-old man “has been charged with criminal mischief and illegal use of solvents and noxious substances” after an acquaintance found him huffing computer dusters. Police report that he admitted he was “huffing from the can” and was taken into custody.

Mom Huffing with Child Present

From Barron News Shield in Wisconsin:

Earlier this month, police responding to a drug abuse and child neglect complaint, searched the home of a 28 year-old woman. She admitted that the previous evening she used computer dusting spray “to get high.”

16 year old in Virginia Passes Out At School

From the Virginia Gazette in Williamsburg, VA:

Last week a 16 year-old girl was hospitalized after passing out school, reportedly from huffing a can of computer duster. She was charged with “inhaling chemical substances, a misdemeanor.”

Seeking Restitution for a Huffing Related Crash

From Rapid City Journal in South Dakota:

In March, a determination is expected on how much a driver who huffed behind the wheel owes a college student who was critically injured by the crash.

Last May the driver huffed computer dusters and blacked out at the wheel. His car crashed into three vehicles. In one of the cars was a college student “who was one semester away from a civil engineering degree from South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.” He “suffered a severe brain injury, continues to undergo rehabilitation therapy treatment, and uses a wheelchair.”

More Information on Inhalant Death in North Carolina

From Lexington Dispatch in North Carolina:

In a follow-up to last week's story about the 17 year-old that was killed by huffing refrigerant, more information on the case.

"The female had a trash bag. She walked to an air conditioning unit in the rear of the apartment complex and collected refrigerant from the unit into the bag. She used some sort of prying tool on the back to get it open. It appears she put the bag over her mouth and inhaled. Because of this, it caused her to die."

The report notes “she'd fallen forward with hands first and the wind tangled the bag around her face.” The Police Captain remarks, “That girl had no idea she was going to die. No idea."

14 Middle Schoolers Caught Huffing in Kansas

From KSN-TV in Wichita, Kansas

14 students were caught “huffing computer keyboard cleaner in the boys and girls bathroom and on the school bus last month.”

The article also reports that “one student passed out and another was examined by a school nurse.”

Two of the students are 14-years old and will face charges of abuse of toxic vapors. The other 12 students are younger than 14-years old so “instead of being charged, they will attend meetings to educate them on the effects of huffing.”

22 Year-Old Passes Out After Huffing Compressed Gas

From KNCO Newstalk Radio in Northern California:

The Police blotter for Wednesday, February 18th notes:

“4:43 p.m. A 22 year old was reported to be huffing compressed air and had passed out. He was transported by ambulance.”

17 Year-Old Dies After Huffing Refrigerant

From WFMY News 2 in Greensboro, NC

Earlier this month on February 6th, a 17 year-old female died from huffing refrigerant released from an air conditioner. She was found unresponsive at an apartment complex in Lexington.

Her parents are now speaking out because “they don't want another teen to make the same mistake their daughter made.”

The local police department is also working to alert parents to the issue as well. Captain Tad Kepley states, “We're hoping that we can get the message out that this is dangerous if you know of someone that is huffing refrigerant please get them to stop before someone else is tragically killed.”

Lawsuit Filed After Son Dies at Youth Center

From 2 The Advocate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana:

The mother of a 20 year-old man “who died at the state-operated Center for Youth in 2008 filed a federal lawsuit last week alleging the state was negligent in her son’s death.”

Her son died on Feb 15, 2008 after “inhaling from an aerosol can while he was in a welding class.” The lawsuit lists the inhalant as “some type of a commercial solvent commonly used in metal and welding shops and is otherwise known as trichloroethylene.”

His death was ruled as accidental and the coroner’s report stated that his death was “probably caused by cardiac arrhythmia due to inhalation of the aerosol.”

His mom notes, “Andy had a history of inhaling. In fact, that’s part of the reason why he was (there)." She continued, “Even with that knowledge, they put him in a welding class and provided him with an inhalant.”

Inhalant Use in Ireland

From Irish Medical Times in Dublin:

The results of the 2007 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs [ESPAD] are set to be released on March 26th. The report includes data from 35 countries.

The previous report revealed that “the use of inhalants in Ireland was about twice the average (18 per cent compared to 10 per cent).”

Man Found Huffing in Wal-Mart Restroom

From Gatorsports.com in Gainesville, Florida:

A 23-year old homeless man was found in a Wal-Mart men’s restroom “with five empty cans beside him, including a sixth can that was half empty.”

Employees had called police after seeing the man take the can from store shelves. He was taken to the hospital and charged with petty theft.

This was the “sixth time in 15 months” that officers were called to respond to the same individual huffing computer dusters.

• In November 2007 he was “arrested for sale, possession or introducing inhalant use.”
• In December 2007 he was “found semi-conscious with a 10-ounce spray can in one hand and two empty cans on the ground next to him.”
• In March 2008, he was found “in convulsions and when he regained consciousness, he reportedly told (police) that he had been inhaling the canned substance”
• In September 2008 he was arrested for petty theft when a store clerk noticed he “took two, 12-ounce cans of the computer dusting spray.” He also “reportedly told police he had been released from a rehabilitation program earlier in the day.”
• Last week he was found huffing from a duster and was “arrested for possession of an inhalant.”

Woman Huffing in Park with Baby

From the Clovis News Journal in New Mexico:

Last month police responded to a call about drug use in a park. The officer found two females that were “arguing heatedly” and the younger one, a 17 year-old, “put a can up to her mouth and “inhaled deeply”.

The police report notes that the older woman “had been walking by the park and saw her daughter huffing so she confronted her and took her grandchild from the girl out of concern for his safety.

The 17-year old was “issued a juvenile citation for inhalant abuse and turned over to juvenile authorities.”

Man Found Huffing Refrigerant from Garbage Bag

From the Gaston Gazette in North Carolina:

This past week a 28 year old man was charged with “inhaling toxic vapors” after being found sitting against a home huffing refrigerant from a white garbage bag.

The police report also notes that he obtained the product from his sister’s home. He was “jailed on a $500 secured bond.”

18 Year Old Woman Crashes Car After Huffing

From the Patriot Ledger in Quincy, Massachusetts

An 18 year old woman was injured in a huffing related car crash. The car she was driving “collided with a gray Honda Accord and spun into a fence.”

In her car they found two bottles of Baileys Liquor and three cans of computer dusting spray.

The three other passengers in her car and the driver of the car she hit were not injured but both cars were towed away. She was transported to the hospital and will be “summoned to the police department when she is discharged.”

Inhalant Abuse on the Increase in Illinois

From the Journal Gazette and Times-Courier - Charleston,IL,USA

The article references the results of an annual survey “conducted as part of the I Sing the Body Electric health coalition.”

The survey revealed “inhalant abuse was up by 15.5 percent since 2006”

Thank you Deputy Ivey

Deputy Ivey from Shelby County Alabama has posted a great Inhalant Abuse piece in his blog -- Safe Kids Journal. Click here to see his Inhalant post.

Man Found Huffing in Stolen Van

From the Wilkes Barre Times-Leader in Pennsylvania:

Last month, a 19-year old man was found inside a stolen van huffing solvents. He "waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Central Court on Monday.”

20 Year Old Dead After Huffing Related Crash

From Lebanon Daily News in Pennsylvania:

A 20-year old man was killed on January 17th in a huffing related car accident in Central Pennsylvania.

The driver of the car, a 21-year old female, was allegedly huffing computer duster before the crash. The car then “crossed three lanes and collided head-on with a sport utility vehicle.” A police officer found a “12-ounce can of dust remover in (her) purse and three other cans in her car.”

The woman was “arraigned Monday on homicide by vehicle and other charges. She is free on $50,000 bail.”

Texas Inhalant Data

From the Dallas Morning News in Texas:

After attending a local PTA presentation the author notes, “I realized how naïve I was about the threat of drugs for preteens. Our district's coordinator for drug/alcohol abuse prevention laid out the realities of the world – which has changed a lot.”

She remarks that the presentation was “one frightening hour” and that “Texas leads the nation in deaths from inhalants.”

Here at ACE, we are very interested in that last statistic- if anyone has this comparative data, please send it along to us.

Inhalant Abuse in Massachusetts- New Data

From the Concord Journal in Massachusetts:

Results of the 2008 Youth Risk Behavior Survey were just released. The survey included middle and high school students in the Acton, Acton-Boxborough, Boxborough, Concord, Concord-Carlisle, Groton-Dunstable, Littleton, Maynard, and Westford Public Schools. The full report can be found here.

From the findings:

Middle School

• 3.0% of sixth grade respondents and 7.6% of eighth grade respondents report having sniffed glue, or breathed the contents of spray cans, or inhaled any paints or sprays to get high at least once during the thirty days prior to the survey. There was little variation by gender in either grade.

High School:

• 4.5% all respondents report having sniffed glue, or breathed the contents of spray cans, or inhaled any paints or sprays to get high on at least one occasion during the thirty days prior to the survey. There was very little variation by grade or gender

Inhalant Abuse Declines in Connecticut

From Weston Forum in Connecticut:

Results of the 2008 Parent Survey Report in Weston, Connecticut were recently released.
The survey was conducted in April 2008 and included 802 students (65% of student body in the local middle school and high school).

Full survey results can be found here:

Some interesting findings:

Table 18: Peer use of substances.
While 78.6% of 7-8th graders report none of their friends use inhalants, this number significantly declines by 11-12th grade where only 49.3% report none of their friends use inhalants.

Table 7: 30 day past use:
Highest use rate: male = 7th grade at 3.4%
Highest use rate: female = 8th grade at 3.5%
Interestingly, neither male nor female 8th graders report using inhalants in the past 30 days

Table 8: Lifetime use:
Highest use rate female =9th grade at 10.6%
Highest use rate male = 11th grade at 10.4%

Table 14th: Life time Drug Use
Highest rate of use occurs in the 11th grade (9.5%)

Table 25: peer use:
Those reporting their friends have tried inhalants: 9th grade- 12.9%; 10th grade -15.6%; 11th grade -17.8%; 12th grade-10.5%

Table 45: comparative use:
Females: Weston (7.5%), Connecticut (11.0%), United States (14.3%)
Males: Weston (5.4%), Connecticut (11.2%), United States (12.4%)

Table 46: recent use
Grades 7-8: 2000--3.3%; 2008 (-1.0%)
Grades 9-10: 2000--5.6%; 2008--1.2%

Table 48: lifetime use:
Grades 7-8: 2000—9.9%; 2008--2.8%
Grades 9-10: 2000--15.2%; 2008—5.9%

Burglar Incinerates Self

From KRQE in Albuquerque, New Mexico:

This past Monday evening, the body of an unidentified male was found in the remnants of a burned home.

The homeowner was at work when the fire broke out and didn’t know who the man was. “Arson investigators have since determined that the man broke into the house and caused a gas leak on the stove. Natural gas then filled the house and ignited blowing out the walls to the house.”

Neighbors indicated that it could be someone they had seen earlier in the day. One neighbor reports that she "saw the man Monday with red all over his face as if he had been huffing paint. She said he was acting very strangely and that she hasn't seen him since.”

2nd Annual Inhalant Prevention Conference in VA

The Virginia Inhalant Abuse Prevention Coalition is holding its second annual Inhalant Abuse Prevention Conference! The conference will take place on March 16, 2009 in Williamsburg, Virginia at the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel.

The conference will be beneficial for educators, law enforcement, prevention specialists, emergency care providers, social workers, school health and mental health professionals, policy makers, health care professionals, juvenile justice staff, PTA representatives and anyone who is concerned about protecting the health and safety of our youth. Early registration fee is $55 (by Feb 13th). After that, regular registration is $65.

Those in attendance will hear from experts about the problem of inhalant use and learn about successful prevention initiatives that have been developed to combat it. For a complete description of the conference agenda, workshops, and to register on-line, please go to www.htsac.org.

Please click here to view the flyer for the conference. For more information, please feel free to contact Sandy Bailey at sbailey@co.newkent.state.va.us or (804) 869-4311; Nadia Williams at nwilliams@tni.net or (757 )476-5070.

27 Year Old Arrested in Texas

From the Lufkin Daily News in Texas:

Earlier this week in Lufkin, Texas a 27 year old woman was arrested for possession of inhalants.

Car Crashes Into House in Delaware

From 6abc.com in Philadelphia:

The community of Claymont Delaware is concerned about the destruction of three houses over the past two weeks. In each case, a car crashed into a house with a family inside.

In one of the crashes, the 20 year old driver “reportedly passed out at the wheel while huffing.”

He hit a house where a dad was inside playing legos with his two young children. The father notes, "He was going 65 to 70 and basically used his car as a missile into my house.” He also stated that his children can't sleep at night and that they can’t return home because the house has been condemned.

A Full Lessson on Inhalant Abuse Prevention

From the Bemidji Pioneer in Minnesota:

Officer Jon Hunt of the Bemidji Police Department is acknowledging his community’s increasing concern over inhalant abuse by extending his inhalant abuse lessons in the classroom.

For his 6th grade students, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) materials reference inhalant abuse as a part of one lesson. Officer Hunt is expanding this to develop a full lesson on huffing.

Thank You Officer Hunt.

Inhalant Abuse on the Rise in Barbados

From Nation News in Barbados:

The 2006 Barbados Secondary School survey results were recently revealed. The survey took place from October – December 2006 “by the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) in collaboration with the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission in 23 public and private secondary schools.” It “targeted second, fourth and fifth formers between the ages of 11 and 17, and 2 220 students completed questionnaires.”

The survey showed that female inhalant abuse, comparative to male inhalant abuse has increased since 2002. Additionally, with reference to perception of risk students reported that “inhaling (the products) sometimes was not as bad as if you used them frequently.” For students repeating one or more school years, 24.1% had used inhalants.

Man Arrested After Huffing Paint

From the Montgomery County Courier in Texas:

Earlier this month, a police officer came across a stopped car and “observed a strong odor of chemical coming from inside the vehicle.” A 26-year old man was found inside the car with “gold paint on his face and chin” and he was “holding a clear plastic baggie which contained gold paint. A can of spray paint was also found on the car’s floor.

The officer noticed that the “male was found to be under the influence of chemical inhalant. His balance was unsteady and his eye pupils appeared abnormal (pin point size). “

The man was charged with “Possession and Ingesting a Volatile Chemical.”

20 Years Ago in British Columbia

From the Valley Echo in Invermere, BC, Canada:

Inhalant Abuse made it into their notables:

“20 years ago: Solvent abuse was uncovered at Windermere Elementary School. A small number of students had been sniffing gasoline, White Out and other inhalants they could find or steal. School principal Bob Campsall said weekly meetings and counselling sessions with parents were continuing and the school atmosphere had improved since the abuse came to light in December.”

New ACE Ad in Washington Times

Here's our most recent Inhalant Abuse ad - in the Washington Times, January 20, 2009. Click on the image to view the larger version.

Arizona Launches New Program for Parents

From Prescott Daily Courier in Arizona

MATForce, the Yavapai County substance abuse coalition, has recently started a “video lending library called MATFLICKS.”

The free program provides the videos which are intended as tools for parents to discuss substance abuse and other issues with their children. The group’s spokeswoman notes, “They are great for getting families to discuss what can often be difficult subjects” and “It gives (parents) a springboard to talk to their kids.” She also noted that the results of the 2008 Arizona Youth Survey showing an increase in inhalant use.

More information on the program can be found on the MATForce website at website at www.co.yavapai.az.us/MATForce.aspx

Success in Singapore Inhalant Program

From the Straits Times in Singapore

The Central Narcotics Bureau reports success in its fight against inhalant abuse. In 2007 there were 644 inhalant abuse related arrests. In 2008 that number dropped 5% to 615.

Tactics used include “a series of measures since September 2007, including visits to shops that sell glue, preventive education talks and various collaborations with schools and other agencies.”

After Huffing, Man Starts Fire

From Spartanburg Herald Journal in South Carolina:

Last Saturday, a 37 year old man was arrested after firefighters responded to a fire on an area of grass near Wal-Mart. They found the man “standing in the fire, waving his arms and talking to himself.”

When officers asked him why he started the fire, he replied “to keep warm." He was arrested on a charge of “malicious injury to property” and the police report noted evidence on his nose, mouth, hands and clothes indicated he had been "huffing paint."

Inhalant Abuse Efforts in California

From the Press-Enterprise in California:

The article discusses various school districts and their efforts in proactively educating students about inhalants and preventing inhalant abuse.

The director of educational safety and security for Rialto Unified School District mentions “a student inhaled the spray in a school restroom and passed out a couple years ago. Paramedics were called and the student recovered.” He continues, “The district has caught a couple more students with computer dusting spray but hasn't had a case in more than a year.”

A store manager states that sales of dust-remover sprays and model airplane glue are already restricted to purchasers 18 and older under California law but “while minors can't buy it, the biggest problem is they can walk in and steal it."

In Alvord Unified School District, a board member saw the story of Jeff Williams online, researched the issue and then put it on the board agenda. She notes, "It is our responsibility, my responsibility to make parents aware." The school’s superintendent promised to “institute an aggressive campaign to get the information about the dangers of inhaling dust-remover sprays out to parents.”

In the Corona-Norco Unified School District, “Inhaling is addressed in the Project Alert curriculum taught in seventh grade.” “Moreno Valley uses Too Good for Drugs” and San Jacinto schools "use Project Alert for middle school students, as well as classes taught by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, called Gang Resistance Education And Training."

Death of a 14-Year Old

From the Evening Express and posted By Re-Solv to Solvent and Volatile Substance Abuse on 1/22/2009

The article discusses the death of a 14 year old girl. The adult is accused of letting underage children drink, “failing to care for (the girl) while she was staying at her home” and “failing to realise the teenager was intoxicated with alcohol and get the necessary medical help.”

During the inquiry, a witness was asked if she knew of anything else that could have contributed to the situation. The witness replied, “She was inhaling aerosols.” And noted that she “heard she had inhaled them through a towel in a bathroom.”

Inhalant Abuse in Ireland

From Independent.ie & posted By Re-Solv to Solvent and Volatile Substance Abuse on 1/08/2009

“A small number of children, some aged as young as 10, have admitted sniffing glue, according to a new study. The study, which involved 1,254 children in 43 schools, found that 4.2% admitted having abused glue or solvents "at least once or twice". The children were surveyed in Limerick, Clare and north Tipperary, ranged in age from 10-14 years and were split between fifth and sixth class."

Driver Crashes Car After Huffing

From Lynchburg News and Advance in Virginia:

Yesterday afternoon, a 43 year-old woman “lost control of her vehicle and sideswiped a disabled vehicle on the shoulder of the road.”

The drivers of both cars were taken to the hospital with minor injuries and “both cars were totaled.”

Lynchburg Police report that the driver of the first vehicle had been “driving at a high rate of speed” and "had apparently been huffing (computer dusting spray).”

Six Students Caught Huffing in Utah

From Logan Herald Journal in Utah:

In December, police responded to Mount Logan Middle School after someone reported that a student had been huffing computer dusters. After being caught, six students were “charged Tuesday with psychotoxic chemical abuse.”

Fourteen Middle School Students Caught Huffing At School

From KAKE 10 in Kansas:

Last week, school resource officers called Garden City police to a middle school after a huffing incident involving 14 students.

“The students had been huffing in the bathroom, as well as on a school bus. One student was examined by a school nurse after displaying symptoms of huffing, and officers learned another student passed out on the school bus after huffing.”

The article also notes that in November 2007, the same police department “investigated the death of a 19-year-old male, whose death was related to inhaling computer keyboard cleaner.”

18 Year-old Injures Himself While Huffing in Pharmacy

From the Cherry Hill Courier Post in NJ:

Earlier this month, police responded to a call “for a person bleeding from the head near a Rite-Aid store.” He had already left the store but witnesses reported that the 18 year old man had ingested computer dusting spray while at the store.

The witness also reported that after inhaling the product, he “fell into a store display cutting his head” and as he “staggered out of the store, a second aerosol can fell out of his pocket.”

The suspect was found in his home and to police admitted he “took a can of duster and walked around the store huffing it.

He was charged with “shoplifting and inhaling toxic chemicals for the purpose of intoxication.”

North Carolina- Inhalant Use

From myNC.com :

Last week, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools released the results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) that local middle and high school students took in March 2007.

From the report: “Fewer than 10% of students in both middle and high school report ever having used inhalants."

Inhalant Abuse in Massachusetts

From the Worcester Telegram in Massachusetts:

On January 14th, the West Boylston School Committee heard the results of a risky behavior survey that was completed by students at the middle and high schools last February.

Findings noted that “up to 30% of middle schoolers reported use of inhalants. The district’s health and wellness teacher remarked, “Inhalant use is most common by seventh- and eighth-grade Caucasian males in upper middle-class communities.”

New Air Force Order Includes Inhalants

From Stars and Stripes Newspaper in Washington DC:

Earlier this month, U.S. Air Forces Europe commander Gen. Roger Brady issued an order banning a range of substances including inhalants. The new order “bans airmen from sniffing, snorting or huffing household and commercial products such as glues, lighter and cleaning fluids, paint products and medical anesthetics.”

The press release noted that no one had been “court-martialed in USAFE for any offense related to using salvia and the other drugs under the ban” but that the order was issued more as a proactive means. "We don’t see that we have a problem in USAFE, [Gen. Brady] wanted to give commanders in the field a tool to get ahead of this emerging problem. We are seeing a problem in the States.”

Man Arrested for Huffing Paint Outside Home

From WFIE-TV in Indiana:

Last Tuesday, police received a call that a man had been “huffing paint and walking.” They located the man at his grandparent’s house and arrested him.

Police noted that he had “silver paint on his face, nose, mouth lips, hands, fingers and clothes” and that he reported he uses inhalants “because he likes it.” Police also noted that he had been arrested before for the same thing.

Two Men Arrested for Huffing Duster at Wal-Mart

From the Gaston Gazette in North Carolina:

Last Tuesday at around 5:00 am, an 18 year-old and a 20 year-old were arrested and accused of “inhaling compressed air inside a Gastonia Wal-Mart store.”

An employee saw the men inhaling from a can of dust remover. The men were “charged with damage to property/vandalism and drug possession - non-narcotic.”

Man Found Dead in Club - Inhalants Suspected

From KDKA in Pittsburgh:

Two weeks ago, a 31 year-old male was found dead in one of the rented rooms inside a Pittsburgh club “with a number of cans of inhalants nearby.”

The article notes that police confiscated a product that is “designed to be used to clean VCRs and radio parts, but people use it as a sex enhancer, a practice that's illegal and potentially deadly.”

Police believe he purchased the product at the club. Therefore, potential criminal charges are being discussed as “state law does not allow the sale and use of certain solvents and noxious substances for the purpose of intoxication, inebriation, excitement or the dulling of the brain or nervous system.”

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."

Trunk Plunges into River After Driver Huffs

From WFIE in Indiana:

Two men were injured after their pick-up truck ran off the interstate and plunged into a creek in Vanderburgh County, Colorado. The driver admitted that he and the passenger “had been huffing chemicals minutes before they passed a semi and the driver lost control.”

The vehicle was “almost totally submerged in the water” but the men made it out of the truck before the arrival of the emergency crew. The men were taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries.

Man Crashes Into Yard After Huffing

From NewsCow in Cowly County, Kansas:

Ark City Police arrested a man earlier this week after he drove “into a yard and struck a fence and a tree.”

When police responded they found him sitting in his car and huffing from a computer dust remover can.” He was arrested for driving under the influence and cited for “no proof of insurance, abusing toxic vapors and careless driving.”

Woman Caught Huffing in Store Bathroom

From Bradenton.com in Florida:

Deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 36-year old woman “on a charge of huffing chemicals from a dust cleaner can in a local drug store.”

The report notes that at a Walgreens store, she took the can off the shelf and into the bathroom. When she emerged from the bathroom, the can was in her purse and “felt cold like it had just been used.”

The woman was charged with “retail theft and inhaling a harmful chemical” and was held on $2,000 bond.

Police Concerned in Lincoln Nebraska

From the NebraskaStatePaper.com:

Last month, after a “near-death of a third city resident”, the Lincoln Police Department called a news conference to “remind the public about the fatal dangers of huffing.”Police Chief Tom Casady noted "This has really caused us great concern.”

The deaths were completely separate incidents and involved a 36 year-old and a 19-year old. Both cases were attributable to computer dusters.

Interview with Wayne Frith of SAFE

In a period of only 18 months, the Substance Abuse Free Environment (SAFE) was able to reduce the rate of inhalant abuse in one Virginia community by 44%. Recently, ACE had the opportunity to interview the organization's executive director, Wayne Frith, to learn more about their successful efforts.


1. As the executive director of the Substance Abuse Free Environment (SAFE), what do you see as the major problem with inhalant abuse?

The central problem that our community faces regarding inhalant abuse centers on education and information. About two and a half years ago, we completed a community youth survey (the first since 1993) and discovered that past 30 day use of inhalants among eighth graders was double the national average for that group.


We immediately began investigating the “but why here?” question. We discovered that virtually no one had a working knowledge of inhalant abuse in our community of over 300,000 citizens. Even professionals in the substance abuse arena had very little knowledge that the problem existed here. Even though youths seemed to have knowledge of the problem, adults, both professionals and parents, were fairly clueless.


2. Why do you feel that more parents should know and educate themselves about the dangers of inhalants?

We decided to attack the problem of inhalant abuse in our community (twice the national rate), by making adults aware. In a period of 18 months, the reported incidence of inhalant abuse among 8th graders (the age at which the problem was greatest for us) dropped by 44%.

Simply letting parents and school personnel become aware allowed them to more appropriately monitor the situation. In follow up evaluations, we have learned that a majority of school staff and parents who have received the training have actually talked to children about the dangers. We found that most adults had never read the labels on products that contain inhalants.


3. How are you and SAFE working to solve that problem?

The mission of SAFE states that we will engage the community in preventing substance abuse. In the case of inhalant abuse, we turned to our community partners and received complete and enthusiastic support.

· We offered education on inhalant abuse to the community and communities across the state by bringing in Isabel Burk, a well known national expert. Approximately 100 professionals turned out to learn more about this problem that, as it turns out, is prevalent throughout Virginia.
· Members of SAFE became certified to train others.
· SAFE subsequently trained
o public health staff (all public health staff in Chesterfield County which means about 150 public health professionals)
o school guidance counselors, social workers, psychologists
o teachers, school administrators, bus drivers
o food service personnel, custodians
o elected officials, first responders (police and fire)
o parents
o and anyone else who would sit still long enough.
· With the support of state agency partners, we were able to launch a state wide coalition, Virginia Inhalant Abuse Prevention Coalition which held its first annual conference in the spring of 2008 in Staunton, Virginia. The attendance exceeded the registration and approximately 100 persons turned out to learn about strategies to combat inhalant abuse in their communities.
· Top national leaders in the field of inhalant abuse prevention turned out to participate in an “Inhalant Summit” on the evening prior to the conference. The audience included leaders from around Virginia and a member of the State Board of Education.
· We have advertised extensively in print media to get the message to parents and the community at large
· SAFE is honored to have presented to the annual meeting of all directors of public health in Virginia
· We participated in multiple television and radio interviews on the topic. The radio interviews included an hour long program on a Spanish speaking station
· SAFE has developed teams of trainers to go into local public schools (we have 64 schools with nearly 60,000 students in Chesterfield County) and into other localities that have requested training
· The Parent Teacher Student Association of Virginia invited us to address their annual conference
· The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) invited SAFE to present a workshop at their national conference in 2007
· CADCA also included SAFE in their national television production of “Household Highs” on inhalant abuse.
· SAFE has developed a PowerPoint and packet of materials to standardize the training being offered to school staff
· We have offered training to juvenile probation officers, private treatment providers, nurses and civic organizations
· Two members of SAFE, Sharyl Adams and Mary Lib Morgan, contracted with the Virginia Department of Education to edit and re-write a manual on inhalants that included educational materials for adult and grade specific lesson plans for kindergarten through grade 12. This manual was distributed to all school divisions in Virginia. It is available to communities across the United States and is currently being translated into other languages.
· SAFE has met with the Director of Drug Control of India to discuss strategies to reducing inhalant abuse in that nation
· SAFE introduced in Virginia an interactive website for parents to learn about inhalants and how to talk to their children about the dangers of inhalant abuse. It is available at http://www.chesterfieldsafe.org/
· We have worked with a private provider, National Counseling Group, to develop better interview protocols for use by substance abuse counselors in detecting inhalant abuse early.


4. How do you view the issue of inhalant abuse in Virginia as opposed to nationally? Can you say anything about the similarities and differences between forces working to stop inhalant abuse in Virginia and other states across the nation?

In a statewide survey conducted by the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services in 2005, data indicated a rate of inhalant abuse much higher in Virginia than the national average (twice the national average for past 30 day use by 8th graders).

A statewide coalition came into existence in the spring of 2007 to work to prevent inhalant abuse. Many communities across Virginia and several state agencies have joined forces to make resources available to anyone who wishes to engage their communities in the effort.

I know that other states and organizations, such as ACE, have been working on this issue for some time. We are anxious to learn more from others as we continue to raise awareness and to advocate for change regarding inhalant abuse. I am very impressed with the policy and legislative initiatives in Maryland.


5. What are some SAFE upcoming events and programs that we should be looking forward to?

• Right now, we work to finish a training product that we hope to have ready for distribution by March of 2009.
• The second annual Virginia Inhalant Abuse Prevention Coalition will take place in March of 2009 in historic Williamsburg, Virginia.
• We hope to finish training all school personnel in all of our local middle and elementary schools by the end of this year.
• Finally, SAFE will receive a “Got Outcomes! Coalition of Excellence” award on February 12, 2009 at CADCA’s National Leadership Forum.

Humbled by this high honor, we look forward to acknowledging all those who helped us so much to mount a successful campaign to reduce inhalant abuse. I especially want to thank ACE for all the guidance, counsel, resources and funding that helped make a big difference in Virginia.

21 Year Old Found Huffing, Fighting, and Screaming in Florida

From Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida:

A 21 year-old woman “was heard screaming outside a Kohl's store” before 5:30 am and when someone went to check on her, they found her huffing computer duster.

The police report notes that the concerned woman “walked over to try and help the 21 year-old but she started yelling and hitting her.” The report continues “a man stepped in to separate the two and police were called.”

Paramedics responded and the 21 year-old was arrested “on a charge of inhaling a dangerous chemical and possession of drug paraphernalia.”

Man Arrested After Huffing Dust Remover in Car

From KETV.com in Omaha, Nebraska:

A 32-year old man was arrested after police found him huffing a can of computer duster in a parked car. After the arrest, police noted that “the dangerous trend is becoming more popular with older people.”

32-Year Old Man Arrested for Inhalant Use

From WKSR in Tennessee:

Police in Elkton arrested a thirty-two year old man and charged him with "violation of probation and being under the influence of an inhalant." Bond was set at $8,500.