Wichita police see new trend called ‘dusting’

? Wichita police say they are seeing a trend of crashes in which drivers have sucked compressed air into their lungs as a way to get high.

KWCH reports investigators know of at least four cases in which a teen or young adult driver caused an injury crash after taking a hit from a can of air.

Police call the practice “dusting” because it involves cans of air designed to blow dust away from computer keyboards and other electronics.

Lt. Joe Schroeder says the air can render someone out of control after one hit, but recovery time is quick and that makes it hard for police to identify.

A 17-year-old girl crashed in July while “dusting” and critically injured a 42-year-old passenger when her car slamed into a pedestrian bridge.