Freon
Pronunciation:FREE-on
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number:11126-05-9
Type:Inhalant.Seepage 26
Federal Schedule Listing:Unlisted
USA Availability:Generally unrestricted
Pregnancy Category:None
Uses.Freon is most familiar as a component of refrigeration and air-
conditioning systems. The compound is commonly used to clean metal, and
other industrial uses exist as well. In past times freon was routinely used in
pressurized aerosol spray cans, but that usage ended after scientists discov-
ered that freon contributes to the destruction of the Earth’s ozone layer. Some
persons have experienced hallucinations from inhaling freon vapor. A medical
case report mentions that heavy polydrug abusers have used freon to expe-
rience flashbacks of those experiences. Various chemical formulations of freon
exist, some of which may have hallucinogenic effect, and some of which may
not.
Drawbacks.Freon may produce lung spasms. The substance has caused
high blood pressure, perhaps as a consequence of kidney damage resulting
from the substance. Users have described accelerated heartbeat. Inhalation has
also brought on a cardiac emergency called ventricular fibrillation, which is
fatal without immediate medical intervention. Even if the person survives,
most individuals do not receive sufficient help in time to prevent lasting brain
injury from lack of oxygen. In one case a 15-year-old freon user not only
experienced the heart emergency but suffered lung and muscle damage as
well. Using enough freon in a closed space can be fatal due to oxygen star-
vation. Inhalers have also reported injuries ranging from lacerations to a bro-
ken neck when they lost consciousness and collapsed while sniffing freon;
such harm may not be attributable to the substance itself but can be a con-
sequence of using it.
Pressurized freon gas can be cold enough to cause frostbite. Case reports
note cold damage to fingers, along with drooling caused by frostbite injury to
lips, tongue, and inside of the mouth. One report described “notable defor-
mation” of someone’s face; in another case, plastic surgery was necessary to
reconstruct the damaged face of one recreational user.