PureInsight | September 5, 2005
Question: I have read about a child who died after inhaling Dust-Off®. Could it be true?
Answer: Unfortunately, deaths from inhaling Dust-Off have occurred. In a letter dated July 28, 2005, the CEO of Falcon (the manufacturer of Dust-Off), acknowledging the dangers of inhalation abuse, expressed his condolences to family members who have lost loved ones to this problem.
Dust-Off is the chemical 1,1-Difluoroethane, a fluorinated hydrocarbon, also known as fluorocarbons or Freons. They are used as propellants, refrigerants and cleaning agents.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), "Inhaled chemicals travel rapidly from the lungs through the blood to the brain and other organs. In minutes, the user feels alcohol-like effects such as slurred speech, clumsy movements, dizziness and euphoria. Other effects might include lightheadedness, hallucinations, delusions, and, after heavy use of inhalants, drowsiness and a lingering headache."
The NIDA continues, "The most serious hazard for inhalant abusers is a syndrome called 'sudden sniffing death.' A single, prolonged session of inhalant use can produce rapid and irregular heart rhythms, heart failure and death. It can happen within minutes and can strike an otherwise healthy young person. But inhalant abuse can cause death in other ways, too—asphyxiation, suffocation, or choking."
Why would someone inhale a toxic substance? It seems to be part of human nature to want to change our state of being and experience different sensations. As children, we were thrown into the air and caught by one of our parents. We may see children twirling themselves around until they become so dizzy they fall. Amusement parks have a variety of rides to give the customers various experiences. As one adolescent replied when asked why he liked to skateboard so much: "It's such a rush." Most sports are mind-altering in one way or another, such as the endorphin high experienced by runners.
The tragedy is that some use substances to alter their state.
In the above-mentioned case, it might be better to use a canister of compressed air to clean keyboards and electronic parts in our computers instead of fluorocarbons if there are children in the house.
