Trooper warns of inhalant dangers

Regina Schulmeister, a trooper with the Wyoming Highway Patrol, has recently noticed a trend in what people have been using as intoxicants.

A curious person by nature, Schulmeister stated, “I picked a career where it comes in quite handy. I am a State Trooper and have been in Law Enforcement for over 25 years. Sometime ago, I began asking my passengers how everything started for them. My passengers, of course, are en route to jail and more often than not, their charges are related to the use and misuse of alcohol and drugs.”

What she found out was that they started young, around 14 or 15 years old. They tried alcohol and many times observed their parents abusing it.

“Some of my passengers had been emotionally, mentally, physically and sexually abused,” Schulmeister stated. “They got together with some ‘friends’ and started smoking marijuana; from there many of them jumped to methamphetamine to cover the abuse. In Thermopolis, I have seen so many people with ‘meth mouth,’ which is yellow and missing teeth caused by tooth decay. After working for almost 10 years on Interstate 80, the reality of small town Wyoming shocked me. This is my town, the one I want to retire in. Wyoming reminds me so much of my hometown with its beautiful lakes, mountains and hot springs.

“In the last two weeks,” Schulmeister observed, “’our town’ has had at least two alleged incidents where the use of inhalants puts people’s lives at risk. During those incidents the users decided to drive, both ended up arrested and put many at risk. Thankfully nobody got hurt or killed with these incidents.”

Inhalants, the trooper explained, are breathable chemicals that produce mind altering results. They are one of the most accessible and inexpensive substances of abuse due to their legitimate applications.

They are mostly used by young people typically between the ages of 9 and 16, but it is not all inclusive. The user can inhale the fumes sprayed into an empty soda can, into a balloon or soaked in a cloth, though many of them just spray it directly into their nose and mouth. The high seems to last somewhere around 10-15 seconds depending on the substance abused.

“With the summer break just around the corner,” Schulmeister said, “this is another great time to talk to our children about making responsible choices. Dusting off, huffing and inhaling is not harmless. The chemicals used to propel the substances from aerosols displace the good oxygen from the lungs and can cause what has been termed as ‘sudden sniffing death.’

“Young people may think ‘canned air’ is not a drug and may be inclined to try it. The Wyoming State Statute defines drugs as ‘any substance that, when taken into the human body, can impair the ability of the person to operate a vehicle safely.’

“Irene Escarcega from Arizona once said, ‘My life and my family’s life have changed completely because of the bad decisions that this drunk driver made.’ Her grandson, Manuel, was killed on October 20th, 2001.

She continued, ‘He (the driver) got 30 years in prison, but we the family who did nothing, absolutely nothing, we got a life sentence of pain, emptiness, of missing our loved one. We’re never going to have him back.’”

After visiting all our Thermopolis businesses, Schulmeister said the evil culprit “canned air” was nowhere to be found. She said she “learned how committed and serious our local business owners are. Some placed them within a limited area where it will catch their attention if a young person buys them. Others stopped selling them completely. I am thankful for these people.”

Schulmeister encourages parents to talk to their kids even if it looks as they are not listening.

“It takes a community to raise a child so help me help your child, friend, or grandchild make the right choice.”