Inhalant abuse, AKA “huffing”, “chroming” and now “dusting”, is when someone inhales chemical vapors, in pursuit of euphoria or some kind of high. This practice is very dangerous and can result in bodily harm or death.
Why am I writing about this on a tech blog? Because:
- Inhalant abuse is often attempted using canned compressed air. That’s a common office supply, used for cleaning dust from your computer equipment
- Social media is being blamed for a recent trend that encourages “dusting”
- I care about your kids, even without knowing them.
The greatest danger of inhalant abuse may be Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. From just one “huff”, the body can be simultaneously deprived of oxygen and put into cardiac arrest. Bitterants may not be enough to prevent this. A young person has recently passed away after inhalant abuse, and I hope this info helps you protect your loved ones.
Besides just reading up on this topic, I humbly suggest talking to your young family members about this, in an age-appropriate manner. Education is all it takes to prevent an SSDS tragedy. Additionally, if you have cans of compressed air in your possession, you could get rid of them. Upgrade to a battery-operated air duster! Those are readily available at stores like Amazon and Home Depot, and represent very little threat to anyone.