MCAS YUMA Arizona -- With so many different drugs on the streets today, Yuma area parents may be surprised to find out the newest killer may already be in their home.
The new drug invading the homes of millions is a computer dusting spray, commonly known by the brand name “Dust Off.” The spray is used to get the dust out from between the keys of the keyboard.
“Young kids are using this cheap and easily acquired product to get high,” said Beth Ayash, coordinator of the station Drug Demand Reduction Center.
The availability contributes to the numbers of preteens and teens who are addicted to this product, said Ayash.
“You can get this product just about anywhere,” she said. “It’s sold anywhere they sell computer accessories, and in today’s world almost every home has at least one computer.”
Because it’s sold in so many stores across the nation, kids assume it’s safe and harmless.
“Kids think they won’t get hurt because it’s just compressed air,” said Ayash. “In actuality (computer dusting spray) contains a propellant called difluoroethane which is what kills the kids.”
Difluoroethane is a coolant similar to what’s in refrigerators. It’s a gas that’s heavier than air and when inhaled it fills the lungs, keeping oxygen out.
“That’s why the kids feel dizzy and light-headed,” said Ayash. “It’s cutting off the oxygen to your brain and heart.”
Dusting can, and has, proved fatal. Sudden death can result on a first try, making a youth’s first time seeking this high also their last.
Most of the deaths that occur due to dusting are from suffocation. Suffocation usually takes its toll when the victim slips into unconsciousness, then dies from lack of oxygen. It can also happen through airway obstruction brought on by swelling in the mouth. "Sudden sniffing death,” as the medical community refers to it, is a simple way of saying the hydrocarbons being inhaled provoke irregular heart rhythms in the victim, leading to sudden fatal cardiac arrest. Even young and very healthy hearts stop.
Dusting is very similar to “huffing,” which is a common term for inhaling a substance in order to get high.
“Dusting is just a new name for huffing,” said Ayash. “Huffing is a term from the seventies and kids know huffing is bad, so they rename it to something that doesn’t sound as bad.”
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the peak age of inhalant abusers is 14 to 15 years, with onset occurring in those as young as 6 to 8 years. Use declines typically by 17 to 19 years of age.
“Huffing is one of the toughest drug addictions to detect,” said Ayash. “There aren’t many outward signs. There are no needle marks in the arms or massive weight loss like with some other drugs. The only signs are lack of memory, confusion or depression, and most (middle school) kids already feel like that.
“It’s also hard to prove (that your child is using inhalants),” said Ayash. “Any proof the parent may find can be easily dismissed. That is why parents have to pay attention to their kids.”
Due to dusting spray being considered a “safe” high, a readily-obtainable chemical and difficult for families and loved ones to detect, it is fast becoming a concern among drug control organizations. These factors, combined with failure of drug-curious teens and preteens to understand how dangerous using inhalants are, makes dusting one of the newest and biggest concerns among air station drug reduction authorities.
For more information on dusting and ways to help tell if your child may be using inhalants, contact Beth Ayash at 269-2791 or visit the Drug Demand Reduction Center, Building 645 on station.