Teen Trend: "Dusting" 

 Knowledge gives us the power to be proactive about our children’s safety.  A concerned TMS parent passed the following story along to the school in hopes that we would spread the word and possibly save a life.  This excerpt highlights one of the latest drug trends called “Dusting.” It is told by a father that lost his son because of this trend.  He thought that he had educated his children about drug use. 

Dust Off is a can of compressed air used to blow dust off a computer. Confirmation of this story and further information on prevention can be found at http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_dust_off.htm.

Children inhale the “compressed air” which gives them a slight high for about 10 seconds. They feel that it can’t hurt them, because it is “just compressed air.”  Unfortunately, it's not just compressed air. It also contains a propellant called R2. It's a refrigerant like what is used in your refrigerator. It is a heavy gas. Heavier than air. When you inhale it, it fills your lungs and keeps the good air, with oxygen, out.  That's why you feel dizzy, buzzed. It decreases the oxygen to your brain, to your heart. It can't hurt you, IT KILLS YOU. 

The horrible part about this is there is no warning. There is no level that kills you. It's not cumulative or an overdose; it can just go randomly, terribly wrong. Roll the dice and if your number comes up you die. ITS NOT AN OVERDOSE. It's Russian Roulette. You don't die later or not feel good and say I've had too much. You usually die as you're breathing it in. If not, you die within 2 seconds of finishing "the hit."  The experts want to call this huffing. The kids don't believe its huffing. It doesn't fit here, and that's why its more accepted. There is no chemical reaction, no strong odor. It doesn't follow the huffing signals. [My son] complained a few days before he died of his tongue hurting. It probably did. The propellant causes frostbite. If I had only known.