Taking On Another Form Of Substance Abuse; ‘Dusting’ Is A Dangerous Trend Among Teens

By Susan Coney

Parents, beware of a new rage known as “dusting” that is gaining popularity among young people. Dusting, which gets the name from the registered brand Dust-Off used to clean electronic products such as computer keyboards, is a form of inhalation abuse.

Unlike “huffing” where individuals inhale fumes, the “high” produced by dusting is actually due to lack of oxygen. Dust-Off is just one of thousands of seemingly harmless everyday household products that has become subject to abuse. Dust-Off is simply air in a can that is used to spray away dust particles. Other compressed air cleaners such as Blast Away and Airduster pose the same threat when in the hands of a curious young person.

Other seemingly innocuous products such as hair spray, fabric protectors, deodorants, and whipping cream — any product packaged in an aerosol can — may produce inhalant highs. Most brands contain warnings about misuse on the package specifically designed to educate consumers on the dangers of improper use.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the peak age of inhalant abusers is 14 to 15 years old with an increasing number of children as young as 6 trying it. Partnership for a Drug-Free America revealed that inhalant use has increased by 18 percent among eighth graders and a startling 44 percent among sixth graders.

Howard Wolfe of the New England Inhalant Abuse Prevention Coalition provided an alarming statistic that as many as 39 percent of first-time “dusters” die immediately. He urged parents to take the problem seriously and to be aware of easily overlooked warning signs such as finding spray containers in their children’s bedrooms, and the observation of bloodshot eyes, a dazed look, numbness, and even frostbite of the tongue.

Inhalation use is popular among adolescents because normal household products are accessible, inexpensive, and do not arouse parental suspicion. Even the most diligent and informed parents can miss the clues of dusting use. Kathy and Jeff Williams of Cleveland, Ohio, recently lost their 14-year-old son Kyle to dusting. Kathy, a nurse, and Jeff, a police officer, were both well aware that teens abused drugs and alcohol and talked with their children frequently about such issues. As parents they felt additionally reassured because their family had adopted a retired, drug sniffing police K-9 named Thor. Officer Williams stated, “I always liked the fact that there was no way to bring drugs into my house. Thor wouldn’t allow it. He would tell on you.”

 Since Kyle’s death this past March the Williamses have made it their mission to help inform the public about the dangers of dusting. Officer Williams has appeared on numerous news interviews and has used the Internet to broadcast the message that dusting kills.

In February Officer Williams purchased a three-pack of Dust-Off that was on sale at a local electronics store to use when rebuilding a computer for his home. He set the products aside and did not give it a second thought but could not find the three-pack when he later began working on his computer. After questioning his children, his two sons admitted they had used up the product on their computer and “messing around with them.” Officer Williams did not give it another thought and although he was annoyed that the boys had wasted the cleaner, it never occurred to him that they may have been inhaling the product.

On the morning of March 2, Mrs Williams went to awaken Kyle to get ready for school and found him sitting on his bed, dead. He had a can of Dust-Off in his hand and the straw from the can was still in his mouth. Kyle had died instantly from dusting. Many household products contain compressed air as well as a propellant. It is a heavy gas that fills the lungs and keeps the good air out, causing a dizzy, buzzed feeling that only lasts a few seconds. It decreases the oxygen to the brain and the heart and lungs and can kill without warning.

Kyle had complained a few days before he died that his tongue hurt (most likely due to frostbite from dusting, it was realized in retrospect). Officer Williams said that he and his wife were familiar with huffing but had never heard of dusting and would not have allowed the products in the house had they known. Since Kyle’s death Falcon Safety Products, the maker of Dust-Off, has developed a section on its website www.falconsafety.com to educate the public on the dangers of abuse.

Recently retail stores such as Wal-Mart and Staples have restricted the purchase of such products to consumers over 18 years of age. Changes in the way such products are made could be as simple as adding an agent producing a bitter taste to discourage dusting, some safety experts note.

For more information about the dangers of inhalants visit www.inhalantprevention.org.