MIDDLETOWN — Penncrest High School officials yesterday pledged to redouble their efforts to educate students and parents about the dangers of inhalants after one was cited as the cause of a Jan. 29 crash that killed five members of the junior class.
The district plans to offer workshops on inhalants and on strategies to narrow communication gaps between parents and students and faculty and students, said principal Joseph E. Haviland. They will be part of a series of workshops that the school has offered to help students and the community deal with the deaths, he said.
On Monday, the Delaware County Medical Examiner’s Office announced that the car’s driver, Loren Wells, 16, of Media, had been under the influence of difluoroethane, an ingredient found in a computer cleaning spray.
Wells’ car crashed into a tree on U.S. Route 1 in Chester Heights. The others killed were Rachael M. Lehr, 17; Shaena E. Grigaitis, 16; Rebecca J. Weirich, 16; and Tracy Graham, 17. There was a significant blood level of the chemical in three of the passengers, who were not identified, a source familiar with the report has said.
An empty can of Duster II, a spray, containing difluoroethane, that is used to clean computer keyboards, was found in the car, authorities said.
In a news release Monday, Delaware County Medical Examiner Dimitri Contostavlos stated: “Investigation has shown that these dust-cleaning spray cans are a popular source of inhalation abuse by teenagers in this area.”
Jill Graham, Tracy Graham’s mother, and other parents met with Contostavlos yesterday. She said afterward: “We spent a lot of time with him. He answered all our questions. The best conclusion we took from it is he stands by his press release. His conclusions are based on his opinions.”
She said he had no specific information about her daughter, who died at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Contostavlos could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The meeting came after Wells’ parents released a statement Monday expressing shock. They also questioned whether their daughter inhaled intentionally.
Among teenagers, inhalation of intoxicating substances is known as “sniffing” or “huffing,” experts say. The substance is inhaled through the nose or mouth for a quick high, experts say.
Haviland said yesterday: “We know there are kids who abuse inhalants. We’re not aware that it’s prevalent. . . . If it’s one kid abusing any drug, it’s one too many.”
He said that the topic of inhalants was already in Penncrest’s curriculum but that the school would now move to further inform parents, faculty and students.
The Rose Tree-Media School District has a drug and alcohol abuse prevention curriculum that starts in the elementary schools, as well as discipline and student-assistance programs, he said.
“District officials will use the information in the medical examiner’s report to review its current programs and to continue working to meet the needs of today’s students,” a district news release said.
Cindy Holms, coordinator of safe and drug-free school programs for the Delaware County Intermediate Unit, said she had seen an increase in the use of inhalants. They are being used by high school, middle school and even elementary students, starting as young as the fifth grade, Holms said.
Another aerosol can used is whipped cream, which uses nitrous oxide, she said. Such products are usually available in the home, she said. Young people “don’t feel like they’re doing anything bad,” Holms said. “Kids are getting more and more suave, trying to use things that are not illegal to get a change in mood.”
An inhalant can cause dizziness and the inability to think or behave normally, along with more serious health risks, Holms said. “Kids haven’t a clue,” she said, nor do many parents.
A counselor will offer an evening presentation next month on the signs of grief and how to deal with it, Haviland said. That counselor has also held focus groups for faculty members, he said. Volunteers from Compassionate Friends are available to work with young people who are having difficulties, he said.
“We are grieving together,” Haviland said. “There’s healing going on.”
It was a work day yesterday for juniors at Penncrest High School, who took state achievement tests. Some students and their parents were still grappling with the news about the cause of the crash.
Speaking about Loren Wells, junior Joe Kelsall said: “I hung out with her a lot. That’s the last thing I could think of. . . . This is impossible.”
Resources: http://articles.philly.com/1999-02-24/news/25504407_1_inhalants-substance-abuse-workshops
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