DUBAI // Public health authorities have issued an alert over the recreational use of a pain relief spray after a spike in teenagers abusing the substance.
The ministry of health said children as young as 12 have been found to use ethyl chloride spray, a legal painkiller often used to relieve sore muscles.
Users spray the gas onto a cloth then inhale the fumes.
Last week, two Emirati teenagers in Ajman sustained burns after the compressed gas they had been inhaling exploded in their vehicle, blowing out the windows in a dramatic video captured on CCTV.
The teenagers, aged 17 and 18, were taken to hospital after inhaling the gas in Al Jurf.
Amin Hussain Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary at the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, said: “Using this type of gas is not a criminal offence. However, It is gaining popularity among the youth due to its low cost and availability in different stores, leading to many cases of addiction between people aged between 12 and 16.”
Mr Al Amiri explained that teenagers spray the gas on a piece of cloth and inhale it. Then, the person might burst into tears or laughter, followed by hallucinations.
The ministry requested the education authorities and police to investigate and report the seizures of the gas and raise awareness among teenagers and parents.
Brigadier Eid Mohammad Thani, director of the Anti-Narcotic Department at Dubai Police, said ethyl chloride spray’s proper use is in hospital and medical practices to control pain associated with surgical procedures and also temporarily relieve minor sports injuries.
nalramahi@thenational.ae