Wichita police are concerned about a recent trend of DUI crashes in which the driver has been under the influence of compressed air, a drug fad known as "dusting".
Traffic investigators know of at least four cases this summer in which young adult or teen drivers have caused an injury crash after taking a hit from a can of air.
"We're finding the cans of compressed air inside the car after the collision," said WPD Lt. Joe Schroeder
The cans are designed to blow away dust from computer keyboards or other electronics. But in recent years, more an more people have experimented with the potentially deadly air.
On July 7th a 17 year-old girl crashed while "dusting" and critically injured a 42 year-old passenger. She lost control on west Kellogg, crashed through a fence and slammed into a pedestrian bridge just west of Hillside, Schroeder said.
"It's very very rapid onset. You can become totally out of control after just one hit. And kids need to understand it is dangerous and they are playing with their life when they do it," Schroeder said.
The effects of the high are short-lived, making it a bit more challenging for police to identify than a typical DUI involving alcohol. A "dusting" driver can be incoherent one moment and start coming around within seconds.
"We do know that if we can get the person to the hospital quick enough we can actually do a blood draw and get indications of the propellant in their blood stream," said Schroeder, adding that police have been successful in doing that.
As with any drug fad, experts say it's up to parents to stay informed, watch their kids, and a ask questions.
A 2011 survey taken by Kansas Communities That Care shows more than 15% of 8th graders in Sedgwick County admitted using an inhalant to get high at least once. That's slightly higher than the statewide average for 8th graders.
