Crime & Safety
'Huffing' Cases Reappear in Lemont
A decades-old trend in drug use has resurfaced in Lemont—adding to the Lemont Police Department's concerns about heroin and prescription drug abuse.
Lemont police officers have noticed the reemergence of an old foe. "Huffing"—or breathing fumes to get high—has crept back into Lemont, with two documented cases among local teens in recent months.
Teens are turning to aerosol gas dusters—typically a computer-cleaning product—for a fast, intense high. A tube attached to the nozzle makes for quick-and-easy use by insertion directly into the nostril.
Huffing has been relatively absent from the Lemont community in the last 10-plus years, police said, but officers fear it could make a comeback due to the spray's accessibility, affordability and common uses in a household.
"The kids nowadays, since you can buy the materials to huff, they don't think it's illegal," said Detective Sgt. Thad Mezyk.
In its past incarnation, the habit was mostly prevalent by inhalation of spray paint. The cases slowly tapered off as local heroin use grew, Mezyk said.
For kids now, however, finding the more commonly abused heroin and funding the habit might be difficult. Gas dusters offer a cheaper, instantaneous high. Mezyk stressed he isn't convinced recent huffing instances are indicative of an epidemic, but parents should be aware of the habit, how it works, and warning signs.
How It Works
Cans of compressed air usually contain tetrafluoroethane or difluoroethane, according to ehow.com. When the chemicals found in gas dusters are inhaled through the mouth or nose, they temporarily displace the amount of oxygen in the lungs.
This is known as hypoxia, and the resulting "high" from inhaling it is the body's response to being deprived of oxygen. Because the high felt from inhaling duster is usually only experienced for a few minutes, many users tend to inhale frequently in a short period, which prolongs the body's oxygen deprivation and further endangers the inhaler.
Warning Signs
The indicators of abuse are extremely similar to other drugs, Mezyk said. Grades slipping, erratic behavior, change in appearance—all could point to drug abuse. In addition, the user may have slurred speech, impaired judgment, a lack of coordination, dizziness and a lack of reflexes.
Other short-term symptoms of abuse could include headache, muscle weakness, nausea, numbness, and hearing loss. Repeated or prolonged abuse could be fatal.
The spray's household uses make it difficult to spot abuse, Mezyk said. For instance, it's not as unusual to spot a can of gas duster next to a child's computer, as it would have been to notice the cans of spray paint used in the past. Kids also seem to think its commonplace uses make it less dangerous, and with many dual-income households, Mezyk said, kids often have more free time for recreational drug use. The spray is an easily obtained option.
"Because it's so easily accessible, they don't lump it in with the other drugs," Mezyk said.
Despite the instances of huffing, heroin use among Lemont residents remains the department's major concern. The number of non-fatal drug-related overdoses this years stands at 20—with most of those heroin- or prescription-drug related, Mezyk said. To date in 2013, Lemont has seen one fatal overdose of which police are aware.
It's easy to keep up with Patch!
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
