Today’s vote means that CPSC will be able to write a rule to address an unfolding tragedy: between 2006 and 2022, we received reports of 1,115 deaths and 28,800 emergency room visits involving inhalation of 1,1-difluoroethane (DFE), a propellant commonly used in aerosol dusters.
Duster abuse is a nationwide problem. Inhalants like DFE are one of the most abused substances among high school students. States with the highest numbers of reported DFE-deaths include Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and North Carolina. And the problem is growing, with more incidents reported every year from 2006 to 2017. The social cost of injuries and deaths from aerosol duster abuse stands at over $1 billion per year.
I am proud that CPSC will tackle this problem. And I am also proud that we are listening to consumers. Our vote shows that great ideas come from ordinary Americans who have faced personal tragedy and petitioned the government to defend them. Families United Against Inhalant Abuse (FUAIA) called on CPSC to issue a rule addressing DFE in aerosol dusters because members lost loved ones to DFE addiction. I encourage consumers to follow FUAIA’s model and to petition CPSC when you see products that cause harm.
CPSC now begins the hard work of solving this problem to save American lives.