The Spread of Huffing
Last week, police in Waynesboro arrested two men for huffing an aerosol can. Huffing is a form of inhaling intoxicants, either by the nose or mouth. Inhaling noxious fumes has been an easy and cheap way to get high. While the products are perfectly legal (such as airplane glue, fingernail polish, and cans of whipped topping), inhaling them is illegal.
According to the Mayo Clinic, chronic huffing can cause serious liver and kidney damage, along with permanent brain damage and loss of coordination. Other effects might include suffocation, seizures, and even death.
The two men in Waynesboro were found in a Wal-mart parking lot with an air can. In Virginia, huffing or inhaling is a Class 1 misdemeanor. One of them was deemed too intoxicated from huffing the air can, so he was taken into custody for being drunk in public. He has been charged with inhaling drugs as well as public intoxication.
Huffing is becoming a serious problem across the country, and is causing serious injury or death. The difficulty in spotting it is that the high and effects are short lived. But with such grave possible consequences, it’s something that law enforcement should keep on their radar.