Espanola – A 22-year old Espanola man who was arrested and released on April 5, 2016, for shoplifting a package of pressured air from a local store, also referred to as duster, will have another court appearance for violating the terms of his undertaking.
On May 12, 2016 at 12:00 p.m., the Espanola Police Service received a complaint from the Espanola Mall that a male was inside one of the bathroom stalls breathing in pressurized air. Upon arrival, police found the male slumped over into the door of the stall, and in medical distress; he had vomited and was unconscious. The officers in attendance quickly broke open the door for the stall, and rendered assistance until EMS arrived and transported the male to the hospital, where he recovered. In the stall, police located an empty bottle of compressed air used for cleaning computer keyboards; commonly referred to as duster. The male had inhaled the compressed air to obtain a state of intoxication, thus violating the conditions of his undertaking, which prohibited him from the consumption of alcohol or other intoxicating substances.
As a result of the incident, the 22-year old was charged with one count of breaching an undertaking before an officer in charge. He will appear in Espanola Court on June 7, 2016, to answer to his charge.
The practice of “huffing” or “dusting,” as it is also referred, is extremely dangerous, and has been attributed to a number of deaths worldwide, due to the potential for it to cause damage to major organs, and cardiac arrest from oxygen deprivation. Not unlike illicit drugs, inhalant use is psychologically and physically addictive, and one time use can result in death. If you are abusing inhalants, or know someone who is, please seek treatment for substance abuse.
