Disturbing New Distracted Driving Trend on the Rise: Inhaling Duster

Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) December 24, 2015 – A disturbing new trend in distracted driving has been identified in Michigan.

Deputies in the Polktown Township, Michigan, area say they have been responding to accidents caused by people getting high on computer cleaning products. The trend involves inhaling Duster, otherwise referred to as Canned Air Duster or Compressed Air Duster. The most recent incident involved a 20-year-old local man inhaling Duster while driving, losing control of his car and slamming into power poles.

“What does Duster do to someone who inhales it?” said, Bobby Lee, a personal injury attorney with Lee, Gober & Reyna in Austin, Texas. “In many cases, the person inhaling it blacks out. If they are driving at 55 mph, the results of hitting a tree, power pole or another vehicle are guaranteed to be painful, if not deadly.”

Inhaling dangerous products is as popular as marijuana with the younger crowd and over one million people used various inhalants to get high last year. One in five students will have used inhalants by the time they reach eighth grade.

According to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department the number of accidents caused by the use of an inhalant such as Duster are on the rise. The major concern is not so much the drivers that have been caught and arrested for driving while distracted or under the influence, it is the number of drivers that have not been caught or have yet to be involved in an accident.

“The other problem is that Duster, like Whip-It, is legal and difficult to test for,” said Lee. “Furthermore, it is a short-lived high and thus users turn to it more frequently to get higher for longer.” But that is not the only thing Duster is known for. It can result in death by asphyxiation or Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. Experts estimate that there are several hundred deaths every day due to inhalant abuse. However, under-reporting is a major problem.

While the use of inhalants is fairly widespread, it has been, until recently, an activity kept indoors or behind closed doors. Now, people are using them while operating vehicles, increasing the risk of death.

“If you have been involved in an accident where the other driver was inhaling Duster, or a similar product, reach out and speak to a competent personal injury attorney. We represent such accident victims, and you are welcome here,” said Lee.

To learn more, visit http://www.lgrlawfirm.com Lee, Gober & Reyna 11940 Jollyville Road #220-S Austin, Texas 78759 Phone: 512.478.8080