A Gainesville woman was arrested the afternoon of Nov. 9 for driving under the influence of air, according to Madison Police Department records.
Jamie Lynn Davis, 32, faces charges of driving on the wrong side of the road, failure to report an accident, a window tint violation, and DUI as a result of inhaling aerosols or toxic vapors.
According to reports, Officer Justin Ives was dispatched to an accident at the intersection of Washington and Hancock Streets, in which a car hit a tree in the Truist Bank parking lot and was still trying to drive through the tree. The car also caused minor damage to another vehicle on the roadway.
When Ives arrived, he found Davis slouched in the driver’s seat with an air duster can in her hand. Ives asked Davis if she was alright, but Davis was unable to give an intelligible response, according to the report. Personnel from the Madison Fire Department arrived and told Ives they believed Davis had been inhaling the contents of the air duster can she was holding.
Davis was transported to Morgan Medical Center for treatment, while Ives continued investigating the accident. He found 10 miscellaneous air duster cans inside the vehicle Davis was driving.
Ives and Sgt. Stacey Eaton later went to Morgan Medical to speak with Davis. She said she had no memory of hitting a tree or a vehicle in front of her and didn’t know why she was inhaling air duster.
Davis was then placed under arrest.
According to recoveryvillage.com, “an air duster, also known as a gas duster or canned air, is used to clean electronic devices and other items that could be damaged by cleaning them with water. When someone uses canned air or an air duster, they press a trigger, and compressed air comes out of the nozzle. While it’s just called canned air, these products usually contain gases that are compressed into liquids. Because these canned air products contain gases, the fumes can cause psychoactive effects, known as an air duster high.
“When someone inhales an air duster, the gases replace the oxygen that would typically be in the lungs. People who use inhalants breathe in the fumes and vapors from these items to achieve a feeling of euphoria.”
However, side effects of using air dusters may include delusions, dizziness, drowsiness, euphoria, hallucinations, headache, lack of coordination, slurred speech, and vomiting.
According to the National Institutes of Health, “using an inhalant can cause severe health problems or even death. Inhalants can cause cardiac arrest or suffocation. Using these substances regularly can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver.”