I am a police officer and I had never heard of this. My wife is a nurse and she had never heard of this. We later found out from the coroner, after the autopsy, that only the propellant from the can of Dust off was in his system. No other drugs. Kyle had died between midnight and 1 AM. I found out that using Dust Off is being done mostly by kids ages 9 through 15. They even have a name for it. It's called dusting. A take off from the Dust Off name. It gives them a slight high for about 10 seconds. It makes them dizzy. A boy who lives down the street from us showed Kyle how to do this about a month before. Kyle showed his best friend. Told him it was cool and it couldn't hurt you. It's just compressed air. It can't hurt you. His best friend said no.
Kyle was wrong. It's not just compressed air. It also contains a propellant called R2. It's a refrigerant like what is used in your refrigerator. It is a heavy gas, heavier than air. When you inhale it, it fills your lungs and keeps the good air, with oxygen, out that's why you feel dizzy, buzzed. It decreases the oxygen to your brain, to your heart. Kyle was right. It can't hurt you. IT KILLS YOU!
The horrible part about this is there is no warning. There is no level that kills you. It's not cumulative or an overdose; it can just go randomly, terribly wrong. Roll the dice and if your number comes up you die. IT'S NOT AN OVERDOSE. It's Russian Roulette. You don't die later. Or not feel good and say I've had too much. You usually die as you're breathing it in, if not you die within 2 seconds of finishing "the hit." That's why the straw was still in Kyle's mouth when he died. Why his eyes were still open.
The experts want to call this huffing. The kids don't believe its huffing. As adults we tend to lump many things together. But it doesn't fit here. And that's why it's more accepted. There is no chemical reaction, no strong odor. It doesn't follow the huffing signals. Kyle complained a few days before he died of his tongue hurting. It probably did. The propellant causes frostbite. If I had only known. It's easy to say hey, it's my life and I'll do what I want. But it isn't. Others are always affected. This has forever changed our family's life. I have a hole in my heart and soul that can never be fixed. The pain is so immense I can't describe it. There's nowhere to run from it. I cry all the time and I don't ever cry. I do what I'm supposed to do but I don't really care. My kids are messed up. One won't talk about it. The other will only sleep in our room at night. And my wife, I can't even describe how bad she is taking this. I thought we were safe because of Thor.
I thought we were safe because we knew about drugs and talked to our kids about them.
After Kyle died another story came out. A probation Officer went to the school system next to ours to speak with a student. While there he found a student using Dust Off in the bathroom. This student told him about another student who also had some in his locker. This is a rather affluent school system. They will tell you they don't have a drug problem there. They don't even have a dare or plus program there. So rather than tell everyone about this "new" way of getting high they found, they hid it.
The probation officer told the media after Kyle's death and they, the school, then admitted to it. I know that if they would have told the media and I had heard, it wouldn't have been in my house.
We need to get this out of our homes and school computer labs. Using Dust Off isn't new and some "professionals" do know about. It just isn't talked about much, except by the kids. They all seem to know about it.
April 2nd was 1 month since Kyle died. April 5th would have been his 15th birthday. And every weekday I catch myself sitting on the living room couch at 2:30 in the afternoon and waiting to see him get off the bus. I know Kyle is in heaven but I can't help but wonder if I died and went to Hell.
Jeff
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/dustoff.asp
This Officer is asking for EVERYONE who receives this email to forward it to everyone in their address book, even Law Enforcement Officers. Even if you do not have children, you can still forward this to friends & family who do.
-- Luafaletele Duhon
Send comments to admin@manuatele.net
8/17/07
Letter to the Editor
"American Samoa students need NOT apply"
Dear Editor:
I just read about our Delegate's bill in Congress to provide ONE MILLION DOLLARS scholarships for Pacific island students. Wow, that's a lot of kupe!
Here's my trivia question: Which students need not apply because they're not eligible? You guessed it! Our own American Samoan students are excluded from Eni's Scholarship Program! What's wrong with this picture? I for one feel there is something terribly awry, sad and unfair when we send a Delegate to Congress over and over who seems interested only in getting scholarships and other benefits for everyone except his own constituents.
Very respectfully,
A voting constituent & parent
Send comments to admin@manuatele.net
Reprinted from Samoa News
August 15, 2007
"Faleomavaega's Colbert Interview"
Dear Editor,
I read Faleomavaega's press release about appearing on the Stephen Colbert Report show. You don't have to wait two weeks to see it down here. If you have a computer and are on-line, go to http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_colbert_report/index.jhtml and you can see Colbert's interview, if you can stand the embarrassment.
Frankly, I don't see why Eni would brag about it. If he wants to make a fool out of himself personally, sitting there without a coat in his trademark bolo tie, that's fine by me but when he allows his office to be demeaned and the territory to be ridiculed, he steps over the line.
That's why the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus told freshmen members to avoid doing this show.
Read about it here:
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=22223
I guess he didn't give the same advice to senior members because he didn't think they needed it. With all these members of Congress avoiding the Colbert show, no wonder he got on.
Faleomavaega owes us an apology for holding American Samoa up to scorn.
Signed,
Enraged voter
I agree CSM. I think most of our leaders at are in it for themselves. I've gone home almost every year in the 18 years that I've been in the Army, and it sickens me that after all this time very little has improved, if anything. Maybe you should run for Gov. When you hang up your boots. Or even Congress. You would get my vote. I've deployed to combat four times in my career, and I've figured out that very few people other than our famlies and loved ones care about service members who pay the price for the freedom that everyone else enjoys. Good luck CSM.
Airborne All The Way
SFC Matautia, Fonoti S Jr
August 10, 2007
Absentee Ballot for American Samoa's Local Election
American Samoans in the US Military are Constituents and Taxpayers that should be afforded the opportunity to vote using absentee ballots in our local election.
I once asked a friend whether he would vote for a candidate that is uninformed or apathetic with his needs and even our country. His answer is reminiscent of the Lawmakers who were voted into the Fono, he said "to do so is to stagnate, become irrelevant, even dry, and blown away". Lawmakers telling "Eni changes to election laws are from the Fono" is a welcome statement by the Fono Leadership, acknowledging they have accepted their responsibility and are committed to the people of American Samoa including all of their constituents in the United States Military. Regrettably, I know all to well, these words are hollowed at best and not worth the ink and paper it is printed on.
In March 2000, I wrote to every lawmaker both Senators and Representatives including the Governor and Lieutenant Governor who is currently Governor of American Samoa, urging them to change local election laws to allow service members to vote because we are TAXPAYERS to the American Samoan Government . I personally met with Governor Togiola in his office and other lawmakers in the Fono building on the subject. Unfortunately, I returned to duty sadden by the apathetical lack of concern for American Samoan taxpayers serving our Nations Military around the world. Despite the setback, myself and other service members have actively engaged Congressman Eni Faleomavaega for his support urging the Governor and the Fono to amend or change American Samoa election laws to allow service members to vote through absentee ballots for the local and federal elections. This led to Congressman Faleomavaega sponsoring the plurality law in 2004, a right we proudly exercised in last years election. In August 2006, I sent an email to the current President of the Senate urging him, since there is already a procedure in place to certify that military members are eligible to vote in the federal election, it only makes sense that the local law extend this certification, so that military members may also vote for the local governor, lieutenant governor, and house members via an absentee ballot.
My correspondence went unanswered and today despite Congressman Faleomavaega's attempts, our Fono's leadership was indifferent and unyielding by the argument that we are constituents and taxpayers to American Samoa. Sadly enough, the only lawmaker from American Samoa who is willing to speak for and defend our service members rights is Congressman Eni Faleomavaega.
Today, our Territory has paid a tremendous price with the blood sacrifice of our sons and daughters in this War on Terror to further the cause of freedom. Our Territory has suffered the highest death per capita in this War more then any State or Territory in the Union. The least our Governor and Fono leadership can do is to honor the blood service of our Samoan servicemen and women by adopting a resolution to allow our Troops to vote through absentee ballot, debate it, vote in favor of it, and have the Governor sign it into law.
Unfortunately, Fono members are against this bill and one has publicly stated "it is the Soldier's fault if he/she joins the military without appearing locally to register to vote". Incredible! I have a daughter who is scheduled to deploy next month to Iraq; a nephew and 15 personal dear friends of 32 years of active military service who have died in this War to bequeath the very freedom that gave him the right to say such a reckless, irresponsible, and immature public statement like this.
This may come as a surprise to you but we are actually fighting a War on Terror and service members of other States and Territories in the Union can vote in general elections on Federal, State, and Territory via absentee ballot. I think you owe an apology to every parent of all Samoan Soldiers who were kill in this War and every Service member who are currently serving to protect your freedom for that foolish and careless statement you made.
Additionally, this blatant disregard for our service members right to vote should be a JUST CAUSE for our Governor, Senators, and Representatives to change the present voting law on behalf of their constituents and TAXPAYERS who are unable to speak for themselves in the noble house of Paramount Chiefs, High Chiefs, and Representatives of our Territory, due to current obligations to the greatest military in the world. Great leaders and Giants of our Territory have spoken eloquently to champion resolutions that further the of Rights for our citizens and I have all the confidence that our current leaders will review these issues objectively and do the right thing.
Finally, I vehemently urge and encourage all military members (Active, Reserve, and National Guard) to write and send emails to the Governor, Senators, and Representatives of American Samoa to adopt and vote in favor of a new resolution to change the voting laws to allow us to vote via absentee ballot, or otherwise support the bill that Congressman Eni Faleomavaega is pushing through the US Congress. I fervently ask of your family members to do the same.
Respectfully,
Iuniasolua Tului Savusa
Cell: (49) 0162-271-7462
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