Show Huffing prevalent in in Orem tenth safest American city Nick Hicken Contributing Writer According to the popular popular popular lar rankings of the Morgan Press Utah is home to several of the nations nation's safest cities including Orem which was ranked the United States' States tenth safest safest safest est city with a population between to people But even though Morgan research and analysis team gave Orem and other Utah cities such ranks the state is still haunted by its destructive drug problem One particular problem people seem to over look lookis is the disturbing trend to use household products and materials as drugs Many Utahn Utahn's s 's who choose not to use illegal drugs or drink before they arc are 21 are turning to alternate methods of getting high Many of these alternate methods in involve involve involve in- in volve the abuse of common household products in order to reach similar highs of the drugs they are forbidden One of the more popular methods used to get high with legally purchased items is inhaling aerosol products sometimes referred re referred referred re- re to as canned air Those who practice this certain certain certain tain method use the leading computer cleaner Dust Off Dust Off is an aerosol can with a thin straw protruding out of the top of the canis canis- ter Dust Off was made forthe forthe for forthe the purpose of cleaning out to reach such spaces as those between en the keys of a keyboard by blowing out strong gusts of pressurized pressurized pressurized pressur pressur- air When people use Dust Off to get high they stick the straw inside their mouth and breathe in the compressed compressed compressed com com- pressed air until it fills their lungs The users then be- be I j 4 Photo by Adam Heath Huffing has become a dangerous trend with US U.S. youth come short of breath and very light With heavier doses their voices will drop to a low tone Although Although Although Al Al- though they begin to loose coordination as their limbs go limp they arc are filled with witha a hyperactive burst of ener ener- gy During the high the users users users us us- ers feel a euphoric emancipation emancipation emancipation pation that makes them feel almost invincible The high is fairly strong and lasts up to a minute half-minute or more Although the mind alter ing effects of Dust Off may appear enjoyable or even exhilarating to some people people people peo peo- the health hazards and physical effects of abusing the product outweigh its recreational appeal There is a common myth that inhaling Dust Off is harmless because many believe believe be be- believe lieve it is just like breathing in air This justification is a grave misconception In order order order or or- der to understand the effects of Dust Off one must first understand its contents Dust Off contains a chemical used as a refrigerant and blowing blowing blow blow- blowing ing agent According to the Material Safety Data Sheets of Cornel University studies studies studies stud stud- ies show that the inhalation inhalation inhalation tion of can affect the respiratory system system system tem cause nervous system depression have adverse effects to the liver and urinary urinary urinary uri uri- nary systems and repeated or prolonged overexposure may cause permanent brainand brain brainand brainand and nervous system dam dam- age cre Although these effects are all considered generally hazardous the most dangerous dangerous dangerous dan dan- effect of inhaling Dust Off is also the same effect that gets the person high When Inhaling Dust Off one is filling his or her lungs with and compressed air all while keeping out oxygen This lack of oxygen kills off brain cells and depresses the nervous system So the high that a person receives from inhaling the Dust Off actu actu- ally comes from the killing of brain cells the cells the product being an accelerator This abuse can be so devastating to the brain that in many cases it has resulted in in instant instant instant in- in stant death As a twist to this drug trend Dust Off or other canned air products have been tied to many vehicular vehicular lar accidents in Utah where inhalation occurred while driving Last Wednesday Police Officer Lt Doug Edwards was watching traffic in Orem Utah Americas America's tenth safest city when around 8 10 am a.m. he noticed a Jeep Cherokee swerving on and andoff andoff andoff off the road According to an article in inThe inThe inThe The Daily Herald Edwards and a fellow officer watched the Jeep drift off the road and take out a fire hydrant a aphone aphone aphone phone box and several mail mailboxes mailboxes mailboxes boxes before veering back to the left and into oncoming oncoming oncoming ing traffic where it finally crashed into a fence on the theother theother theother other side of the way two-way street The officers rushed to the scene and found a dazed and confused 18 year-old year Josh Tyler Kendrick Kendrick Kendrick Kend- Kend rick who simply said upon their arrival Wow After the officers questioned questioned questioned ques ques- Kendrick about what happened he said he was trying to dodge cars The police found a n bottle of canned air computer cleaner in Josh's vehicle and arrested him for investigation investigation investigation of driving under the influence reckless driving and abuse of toxic psycho-toxic ch chemicals The abuse of canned air inhalants has affected enough people that Dust Off now prints a detailed warning warning warn warn- warning ing label on every canister cautioning consumers about the threatening life-threatening consequences consequences consequences conse conse- that can result from abusing their product |