The death of a 15-year-old Greenbrier boy on Wednesday brought statewide media coverage to an issue that affects untold numbers of teens.
Huffing, or sniffing, the act of intentionally breathing vapors with the purpose of reaching a high, is prevalent among teens, especially those between the ages of 12 to 14, according to Faulkner County Coroner Patrick Moore.
According to the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition Web site, "Inhalants are legal, everyday products which have a useful purpose, but can be misused." The coalition says more than 1,000 products can be very dangerous when inhaled "things like typewriter correction fluid, air-conditioning refrigerant, felt tip markers, spray paint, air freshener, butane and even cooking spray."
Inhalants are prevalent among young teens "because they are so readily available," Moore said.
Jesse L. Burks, 15, of Greenbrier and another 15-year-old boy were inhaling Freon out of a bag while in an above ground swimming pool on Wednesday. Burks died after inhaling Freon to the point of unconsciousness, then slipping under the water and drowning, Moore told the Log Cabin on Thursday.
On Friday, Moore said the boy who survived explained what happened. The boys contrived a means of channeling Freon from the outside air conditioner unit into a 30-gallon trash bag, then got into the pool and took turns inhaling from the bag. The boys learned from a peer how to get the Freon out of the air conditioner unit, Moore said. The boy said they filled the 30-gallon bag five or six times, Moore said.
Teens who abuse inhalants likely do not understand the dangers involved, Moore said.
"It's the displacement of oxygen in the lungs that's the danger," he said. "The kids think they're getting an intoxicating effect. What they're actually getting is a hypoxic effect, a lack of oxygen. When you get into a hypoxic state, often you will have a euphoric feeling, light headedness, that kind of thing.
"If the person continues to inhale that substance, the more they inhale, the more displaced oxygen there is, the oxygen in the lungs is decreased to the point it causes unconsciousness."
Moore pointed out the EMTs and emergency room personnel tried to revive Burks for about an hour, and for that hour he was receiving 100 percent oxygen.
"It's heavier than air, so it's not going to be easily dispelled from the lungs," he said. "We expect to find traces of Freon in the toxicology report, but it will be diluted from the resuscitation efforts," he said.
Moore said the state medical examiner said this was the second drowning he had seen involving huffing.
"I suspect there are also falls associated with huffing deaths," Moore said.
In addition to accidental death, Moore said, Sudden Sniffing Death is "the sudden and unexpected onset of death as the result of sniffing an inhalant" and is generally caused by cardiac arrest. This can result from a single session of inhalant use. Inhalants can cause an arrhythmia in the heart, Moore said.
Over time, inhalant use or abuse can damage the liver, kidney, lungs and brain, he added.
"Those aerosols can be absorbed into the blood just like any other gas. That's when it starts damaging organs," he said.
According to the coalition Web site, some substances like nitrites and paint thinner chemically block the oxygen carrying capacity of blood, and repeated use of spray paint as an inhalant can cause lung damage. Brain damage can include cell death, personality changes, memory impairment, learning disabilities, loss of coordination, etc., the site said.
What parents
should know
According to the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition Web site, "Self-report surveys in Texas suggest that at least one in five junior and senior high school students have used inhalants, thus surpassing the frequency of use of such highly publicized drugs as cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, and in some cases, marijuana."
Also according to the site, nearly one in five kids has abused inhalants by seventh grade.
Moore said, "There are a lot of tell-tale signs out there that parents might not be aware of. No parent wants to think it's their child."
Warning signs could include: A chemical or unusual odor on the child's clothes, redness around the eyes, redness around nose and mouth, watery eyes, excessive vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, hidden canisters/aerosol cans/butane bottles, etc., he said.
Moore said if the child is using air conditioner coolant as an inhalant, they could have frostbite or sores around their nose and mouth. Another warning sign, he said, is if the family's air conditioning unit continually needs recharging but the repairman cannot find a leak.
According to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, "there are four general categories of inhalants: volatile solvents, aerosol, gases and nitrites. Hundreds of household and industrial products can be misused as inhalants.
Volatile solvents are liquids that vaporize at room temperatures, including paint thinners and removers, gasoline, glues, correction fluids and felt-tip marker fluids.
Aerosols are sprays that contain propellants and solvents such as spray paints, deodorant and hair sprays.
Gases include medical anesthetics, such as ether, chloroform, halothane, and nitrous oxide or 'laughing gas,' and gases found in butane lighters, propane tanks and whipped cream dispensers.
Nitrites are different than other inhalants because they primarily dilate blood vessels and relax the muscles. They include cyclohexyl nitritem in room odorizers; amyl nitrite and butyl nitrite both called 'poppers.'"
According to a message from the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, "Inhalants stand out in stark contrast to progress being made in reducing overall drug use by teens. Inhalants pose a particularly significant problem since they are readily accessible, legal and inexpensive.
"People do not think that products such as spray paints, nail polish remover, hair spray, glues and cleaning fluids present any risk of abuse, because their intoxicating effects are so totally unconnected to their intended uses. Yet, young children and adolescents do seek them out for that purpose. Adults should store household products carefully to prevent accidental inhalation by very young children; they should also remain aware of the temptations that these dangerous substances pose to children in their homes."
Moore said, "If I were a parent with a child, 12 to 17 especially, I would just confront them straight on. Parents generally get an idea if that child's got something to hide. I don't know that parents should just take the answer at face value. They should still be cognizant of the warning signs."
For more information on inhalants, go to www.inhalants.org.
(Staff writer Rachel Parker Dickerson can be reached by e-mail at rachel.dickerson@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1277. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
