Refrigerant will NOT get you high, it will KILL you!
by
, 09-01-2014 at 01:20 PM (48316 Views)
Why are people huffing refrigerant? I am a refrigeration technician who works around refrigerants and I have found myself in situations were I have been exposed to higher than recommended limits. I can tell you that the feeling you experience is nothing like the high you get from marijuana. I am seriously concerned for my health at these times! The refrigerants are colourless with a faint sweet odour. Overexposure leads to dizziness and loss of concentration because the vapour displaces your oxygen and causes asphyxiation in confined spaces, like when holding a rag to your face! If you going to get high regardless use marijuana over refrigerant! More and more countries are seriously considering legalizing it! Refrigerant will not get you high, it will kill you!
The need to get high seems to overtake the need to stay alive. The recent popularity behind inhaling refrigerant from a bag or rag has got me thinking, why? I understand why people take drugs: to fit in, escape or relax, relieve boredom, to seem grown up, rebel or to just experiment. I understand drugs but I don't understand poison. Huffing refrigerant (poison) from a rag is one step away from dosing the rag in chloroform (poison) in hopes of getting high with the thrill of passing out. The health risks are the same yet we know better than to misuse chloroform, or do we? Below is a list of health risk related to both poisons.
Symptoms of mild to moderate refrigerant poisoning include (Those in common with chloroform are in red):
irritation of the eyes, ears, and throat
headache
nausea
vomiting
frostbite
cough
chemical burn to the skin
Symptoms of severe refrigerant poisoning include (Those in common with chloroform are in red):
fluid buildup or bleeding in the lungs
decreased mental status
difficult, labored breathing
irregular heartbeat
loss of consciousness
Seizures
Legislation has been put into effect (hopefully in your area) that states: Locking access port caps on refrigerant circuit access ports located outdoors shall be fitted with locking-type, tamper-resistant caps ( Fig 1). Any existing units will need to be retrofitted by the contractor. Assuming all refrigerant circuit access ports have these locking-type, tamper-resistant caps, will that be enough? Well it may stop the majority but there are always those who will go above and beyond. It is not hard to penetrate a copper pipe. They make piercing valves for that exact purpose (Fig 2). When it comes to getting high some people will stop at nothing to achieve it. In order to truly change things we need to start with the fundamentals of morality!
I am of the opinion that an educated child would not attempt huffing. As the fatalities from this trend are reported we learn that the majority of victims are young and pre-teens. The source of the problem seems to stem from the misunderstanding of what's right and what's wrong. I have a toddler who loves to get into everything and it is my responsibility to educate him on what's safe and what's not. As he grows older and experiments more with all this world has to offer I will educate and communicate the importance of objective morality. Of course my approach and opinions only work if the child matures with an understanding of values and a rational self interest but that's the goal. A child who values their own life and wants what's best for themselves would never think twice about whether huffing is good or bad or right or wrong. Also a child thinking in their own self interest would actually ask the questions, is this good or bad for me? With a little knowledge they would know some of the hazards and perhaps ask, is it worth it? Do I value my body and mind as it is now or more so after I inhale this poison? These questions may appear to have no-nonsense, obvious answers but apparently not everyone thinks the same. Some think a body full of toxins is valued more then a body full of nutrients. If that wasn't so, huffing wouldn't be the problem it is today.
Resources:
Video: http://youtu.be/wFLpwZsv1PM
Article: http://www.addictiontreatmentmagazin...*****-huffing/
Article: http://www.healthline.com/health/refrigerant-poisoning
MSDS R-22: http://www.refrigerants.com/msds/r22.pdf