Solvent & Gas Use Headlines August and September 2022

UK

Death of mother and baby son described as 'tragedy of unimaginable proportions' at inquest It was likely Ms Kane succumbed to the effect of voluntary butane inhalation. Her 14-month-old son's death was due to being unable to fend for himself due to his age.

Family issues warning when girl, 16, dies after inhaling laughing gas at party An asthmatic teenager has died after being recorded inhaling laughing gas at a party.

Dad of teen who died after taking 'hippy crack' slams government inaction A dad whose son died after inhaling nitrous oxide has slammed the Government for not doing enough to stop youngsters getting their hands on the potentially lethal gas.

 

Southend mum’s mission to stop teens using ‘laughing’ gas after son's death A CAMPAIGNING mum whose son died after inhaling lighter gas is on a mission to confront gangs on Southend seafront to warn them of the dangers of using “legal” substances.

Nitrous oxide: Laughing gas dealer caught with 25,000 cylinders jailed A man has been jailed for more than two years after he was caught with more than 25,000 cannisters of laughing gas, police said.

Laughing gas patients 'through the roof' amid rise in use of powerful larger nitrous oxide cylinders Large canisters of nitrous oxide intended only for caterers appear to be driving an "exponential growth" of patients suffering from the gas' effects, experts have told ITV News.

Teen motorist caught inhaling laughing gas tried to flee Sheffield police by driving on wrong side of road A teen motorist caught inhaling laughing gas at the wheel drove on the wrong side of the road as he fled from police in Sheffield.

Judge's warning over using 'nos' at the wheel as laughing gas-inhaling driver is jailed for leaving young woman with fractured spine in Yorkshire crash A driver high on laughing gas left a college student with a fractured spine after he crashed his VW Golf while inhaling nitrous oxide at the wheel.

 

'Essex police officer injured as van set on fire with explosion' Mr Cohen told the court Bonnell admitted during a police interview he had issues with solvent abuse and had about ten or 12 cannisters of butane lighter fluid in the van on the day.

USA

Singer Darius Campbell Danesh died of ‘inhalation of chloroethane’ The singer-songwriter was found dead in his apartment in Rochester, Minnesota, last month

Chesterfield Driver Charged in Deadly Crash Is Accused of Huffing A Chesterfield driver slammed into a Ballwin medical clinic and killed a worker standing outside, authorities say.

Solvent & Gas Use Headlines July 2022

UK

Doctors warn ‘dangerous’ laughing gas is becoming an ‘epidemic’ amid rise in hospitalisations

We are seeing an ‘epidemic’ of young people’ admitted over abuse of laughing case, warns Dr David Nicholl

Receptionist, 25, warns of dangers of laughing gas after she says she was left PARALYSED by three-day 'hippy crack' binges that damaged her spinal cord and left her needing round-the-clock care Kerry Donaldson, of Newham in London, started inhaling nitrous oxide in 2017

Driver arrested in Bolton after being 'seen inhaling nitrous oxide' say police Incident happened in Chorley New Road, Bolton, following a pursuit by Greater Manchester Police traffic unit

USA

Three dead and four injured in 100mph railroad crossing crash as wreck is engulfed in flames McMullin said a nitrous oxide tank and balloons were found “in and around the vehicle.”

Naked and Afraid star Melanie Rauscher dead at 35 Naked and Afraid star Melanie Rasucher was found dead at the age of 35 surrounded by several aerosol cans.

Florida Man Pleads Guilty in Fatal 'Nitrous Oxide' Crash A 29-year-old Florida man suspected of inhaling nitrous oxide from a whipped cream dispenser before causing a fatal crash has pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide.

Solvent & Gas Use Headlines - May and June 2022

 UK

Whitworth car flip: Nitrous oxide use and speed 'factors' in crash  A driver was "very fortunate" to walk away with "cuts and grazes" after "speed and the use of psychoactive substances" led to a car being flipped on to its roof, police have said.

NHS hospital worker struck off for inhaling laughing gas on duty She was spotted by other staff near to anaesthetic machines, with their nitrous oxide flowmeter turned up to a high level, three times in 2018 and 2019.

Teenager had nearly 600 nitrous oxide cannisters in his bedroom A teenager from Crediton was caught with nearly 600 cannisters of nitrous oxide when police raided his bedroom, a court heard. He also had cannabis with a street value of nearly £800.

Australia

‘Every day is a nightmare’: Teen’s death from sniffing deodorant  It has been three months since the ordinary Thursday afternoon when she found her 16-year-old daughter Brooke dead in her bedroom, lying face down and already stiff with a spray can of deodorant and a tea towel underneath her.

USA

Duluth woman settles 'huffing' lawsuit against 3M Nearly a decade after she was paralyzed by a driver who passed out while inhaling dust remover, a Duluth woman has settled her years-long legal battle against 3M.

Solvent & Gas Use Headlines - April 2022

 UK

Inquest held into death of 42-year-old man who was 'never nasty to anyone' A Great Yarmouth man died from a heart problem after inhaling butane gas, an inquest heard.

Nitrous oxide: Man arrested for inhaling laughing gas at car wheel A motorist who was caught by police inhaling laughing gas continued to do so as he was being questioned, Surrey Police have said.

USA

Woman huffed air duster spray, wrecked car with 6-year-old inside Justina M. Sauls admitted that she had huffed air duster spray in 2019 just prior to having an auto accident on I-44 in Jasper County with her 6-year-old daughter in the car.

Solvent & Gas Use Headlines - March 2022

 UK

716 people have died sniffing lighter fuel, glue or laughing gas Hundreds of people have died after using solvents and fuels including so-called “laughing gas” over the last two decades. Volatile substance abuse is defined as the “deliberate inhalation of volatile compounds to produce psychoactive effects”.

Drivers high on laughing gas are bringing new danger to West Yorkshire's roads, meeting hears Dangerous driving and issues of drivers under the influence of drugs are a growing problem, councillors heard.

Man hit partner during alcohol and laughing gas binge A man left his partner bloodied during a booze and laughing gas binge.

Man fined after he was caught on CCTV dumping dozens of nitrous oxide cannisters It was no laughing matter for one fly tipper caught on film dumping dozens of nitrous oxide cannisters. Mohammad Waqas Ali has been left nearly £700 out of pocket by magistrates.

USA

Springdale woman convicted of manslaughter for crash while huffing and driving A Springdale woman was convicted Thursday of crashing her car into a backyard and house, killing a resident and injuring a toddler almost two years ago.

Man allegedly caught inhaling aerosol twice in less than two hours. Norfolk police arrested a man Monday afternoon following the second of two contacts with him on the same day outside a south Norfolk business.

Martin County woman charged with DUI after huffing deodorant A 31-year old Martin County woman is being charged with DUI after deputies discovered a mound of empty Right Guard deodorant cans in her car.

Solvent & Gas Use Headlines - February 2022

The Office for National Statistics has updated the VSA mortality report.

Deaths related to volatile substances, helium and nitrogen in England and Wales: 2001 to 2020 registrations Between 2001 and 2020, there were 716 deaths related to volatile substances registered in England and Wales, with an average of 36 deaths each year.

 UK

Scots cop cleared of using excessive force on teen mum who died after car chase arrest A Fatal Accident Inquiry has ruled that Shania Collins, 19, may not have died if she had not inhaled Butane gas while she was a passenger in a car being pursued by police on December 22, 2020.

Driver and passenger caught inhaling nitrous oxide in car in Wisbech The Wisbech Neighbourhood Policing Team said they stopped a vehicle after a report that the driver and their passenger were inhaling nitrous oxide in the vehicle.

Belgium

No laughing matter: sale of nitrous oxide banned to minors The sale of nitrous oxide to minors is officially banned as of this week in Belgium, with police warning that its illicit distribution and use as a party drug will be prosecuted.

Solvent & Gas Use Headlines - January 2022

UK

Teenager, 17, died after 'tragic accident' on West Norfolk road, inquest told A forensic collision investigation report by PC Graeme Brookes concluded that his inexperience, the effects of the gas and excessive speed for the corner were likely to have contributed to the crash.

The cowardly Sheffield wannabe gangster who ran away to Skegness Dunford, 27, was sentenced for running over and killing Naomi Colcomb, 28, while he was high on nitrous oxide in 2018

'Gas-huffing' kids playing 'Russian roulette' with their lives According to national solvent abuse charity Re-Solv, butane is the “most dangerous” solvent used for inhalation and associated with half of all solvent abuse deaths.

Kids buy industrial-sized laughing gas containers big enough to fill 70 balloons 
The laughing gas epidemic is now so rampant that kids are buying it in industrial-sized containers.

Powys man threatened neighbour with hammer A MAN threatened his neighbour with a hammer after drinking alcohol and inhaling butane.

Ireland

Woman caught sniffing gas canisters at Cork filling station on Christmas Day Accused was charged with being intoxicated to such an extent that she was a danger to herself or others

New Zealand

Three women found severely hurt in car wreck near Twello Police found a nitrous oxide tank and several balloons in the car.

Solvent & Gas use headlines December 2021

UK

Peterhead mum who dies after polic chase had inhaled butane, fatal accident inquiry told A young mum who died from a heart attack after a police car chase in Aberdeenshire had inhaled butane gas earlier in the day, an inquiry has been told.

Taxi driver caught with 'balloon for loons' business cards A taxi driver who lost his job because of the pandemic set up a business selling nitrous oxide canisters.

Millwall loanee appears to inhale ‘hippie crack’ while at the wheel of a car The Sun have obtained footage of Millwall loanee Tyler Burey appearing to inhale nitrous oxide while driving.

Woking council adopts new powers to help tackle antisocial behaviour in the town centre The PSPO places specific restrictions on the consumption of alcohol and psychoactive substances, such as nitrous oxide, within Woking town centre, if asked by an authorised officer to stop.

Netherlands

Laughing gas implicated in growing number of fatal accidents More than 60 people have died in road accidents in the last three years where laughing gas is thought to have been involved, according to figures obtained by NOS.

Three women found severely hurt in car wreck near Twello Cyclists discovered three seriously injured women in a car wreck just outside Twello early Saturday morning.

Ireland

Almost 60,000 nitrous oxide canisters worth more than 1.9m seized.  Nitrous oxide canisters worth more than €1.9m have been seized at premises in Meath and Dublin.

Solvent & gas use headlines November 2021

 UK

'Laughing gas' canisters to be seized in crackdown

Dangerous ‘laughing gas’ canisters will be seized from young people under a new crackdown – but bakers who use the gas have been assured they will not be raided.

Day of action to tackle ASB linked to nitrous oxide Extra patrols across Tower Hamlets took place yesterday evening (Thursday 18 November) in a bid to educate and enforce a Public Spaces Protection Order, which prohibits antisocial behaviour associated with nitrous oxide use. 

USA

Norfolk driver arrested for huffing aerosol twice in two days A 30-year-old man was arrested twice in two days for allegedly huffing aerosol in a car.

Vehicular Homicide, Manslaughter Charges Filed In Crash A Bradenton man accused of huffing compressed air was charged with vehicular homicide, manslaughter months after a June crash, police said.

India

Bathinda: 14-year-old sniffs ‘glue’ to get high, dies A 14-year-old boy died after inhaling a “solution”, used to repair tyres, in Bathinda on Saturday. Identified as Vikas, his body was recovered from the autorickshaw stand of the railway station.