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Warnings for Inhaling Duster

Inhaling duster, also known as huffing, is a dangerous method of using the compressed air found in computer dusting cans to achieve a short-term high. Children are the most likely to abuse inhalants because of their accessibility, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The warnings associated with inhalant abuse are intended to prevent the harmful side effects of abusing gas duster.

  1. How It Works

    • Cans of compressed air usually contain tetrafluoroethane or difluoroethane. When these 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.

    Short-Term Warnings

    • Short-term effects associated with inhaling duster are similar to those of alcohol intoxication. The user may have slurred speech, impaired judgment, a lack of coordination, dizziness and a lack of reflexes. With repeated abuse of gas duster, users may feel less inhibited and engage in risky or dangerous behavior. Additionally, short-term warnings associated with inhaling duster include headache, muscle weakness, numbness, nausea and hearing loss.

    Long-Term Warnings

    • The long-term effects of inhaling duster are much more serious and often irreversible. Each time the body is deprived of oxygen from inhalant abuse, the potential for brain, muscle and tissue damage occurs. Over a period of time this can cause physical effects such as muscle weakness, hearing loss, liver and kidney damage or emotional and mental effects such as an inability to concentrate, depression, irritability and damage to the central nervous system and brain.

    Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome

    • Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome is a serious warning associated with inhaling gas dusters. This fatal syndrome can kill abusers with one single inhale from a gas duster, even their first time huffing. Though it's more caused by inhalant abuse of butane and air conditioning coolant, it can also be caused by inhaling gas duster. One the duster is inhaled, it causes the heart to beat rapidly. This rapid rise in heartbeat can cause cardiac arrest and asphyxiation within moments.

    Preventing Abuse

    • Because of the dangers associated with inhaling gas dusters, many producers and distributors of this product have taken steps to prevent its abuse. For instance, most cans of compressed air dusters now contain a bitterant, intended to make the product less appealing to inhale. Additionally, many national retailers of gas dusters also require consumers to prove they are older than 18 before purchasing dusters. This is intended to prevent the widespread abuse of duster by teenagers.

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