OCEAN PINES — Five juveniles were charged with theft after stealing Freon from an unoccupied home in Ocean Pines as part of a disturbing trend called “huffing” in which teens are finding creative and sometimes deadly ways of getting high.
The five unidentified juveniles were charged with theft after the investigation revealed they were stealing Freon from air conditioning units at homes they knew were unoccupied for the season. In this particular case, the juveniles used trash bags for storage. They would then pull the hose from the A/C unit, which allows the Freon to flow freely into the bag. The juveniles were filling up trash bags with Freon and tying them off in order to capture and save the refrigerant.
The juveniles would then inhale the potentially deadly gas in a disturbing and relatively new method of getting high known as “huffing.” Teens are inhaling the gas to the point they achieve a high or in many cases they pass out. When inhaling the gas, they are replacing the oxygen their brains need to function and replacing it with the heavier, denser Freon. According to the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, there have been several documented cases of death caused by exposure to Freon around the country.
The latest incident in Worcester this week was the first and only reported in recent memory in the county, but the Sheriff’s Office warns the trend is growing around the region and beyond. On-line research shows dozens of cases of fatalities caused by huffing around the country.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that one in five American teens have used Freon and other inhalants to get high. Unfortunately, only three percent of parents polled in the study think their child has ever abused inhalants.
In Texas, an analysis of 144 death certificates by the Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse involving the misuse of inhalants revealed the most frequently mentioned inhalant was Freon at 35 percent. Of the Freon deaths, 42 percent were students or youth with a mean age of just over 16.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 55 percent of the deaths linked to inhalant use are caused by “Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome,” or SSDS, which can occur on the first use or any subsequent use.
The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office is urging local residents to check on their homes and the homes of their neighbors for people near A/C units and report any suspicious activity to 410-632-1111.