Huffing, dexing and blowing your career away Published Feb. 4, 2010 By 1st Lt. Kirk Mangels 30th Space Wing Judge Advocate Office VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Picture a young Airman, sitting in his dorm room. Perhaps he's bored, stressed out from work or facing a difficult family situation. He just wants to escape for a few minutes, to forget about his problems. He spies a can of Dust-Off sitting next to his computer. He's heard from friends that you can use it to get high, that inhaling it will make you feel happy and relaxed. There's no way he could get in trouble for this, he thinks. After all, it's not like it's cocaine; it is a legal product that he bought from the Base Exchange. There's nothing illegal with this, right? Wrong. Recently, the 30th Space Wing Staff Judge Advocate's Office has prosecuted a number of cases involving illegal drug use and processed administrative discharges from the Air Force in others. Some of these cases involved more traditional drugs, such as Ecstasy or marijuana. However, many cases have involved abuse or misuse of drugs not normally thought of as illegal, such as prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and even misuse of substances such as Dust-Off, AXE Body Spray and others. Common street terms for using these drugs include "huffing," "dexing" or using "triple-C." Use of any intoxicating substance other than alcohol that is inhaled, injected, consumed or introduced into the body in any manner for purposes of altering mood or function is illegal and can result in being discharged from the Air Force. This includes huffing, using cold medications to get high, or smoking substances like "Salvia" or "Spice." Airmen who abuse these substances one or more times are subject to discharge for misconduct. If you are caught using or distributing these substances, you can also be prosecuted under Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for dereliction of duty. Potential punishments include reduction in rank, forfeiture of pay, six months of confinement and a bad conduct discharge, in addition to having a federal criminal conviction. Use of these drugs is also extremely dangerous. Some of the side effects of abusing cold medicines, or "dexing," are dizziness, paranoia, excessive sweating, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, loss of consciousness, seizures, brain damage and even death. Sometimes these cold medications contain other chemicals that can also cause serious injury or death. "Huffing" substances such as Dust-Off can also have very serious side effects. Huffing, even once, can lead to death from heart failure. Repeated huffing can lead to serious and sometimes irreversible damage to the user's heart, liver, kidneys, lungs and brain. Brain damage may result in personality changes, diminished brain functioning, memory impairment and slurred speech. Some Airmen mistakenly believe that if the substance itself is not prohibited, then using it to get high is OK. It's not. It is a crime, a violation of good order and discipline, and a betrayal of your duty as an Airman. Don't be fooled by the prospect of a cheap and easy high. If work or family problems are causing you difficulty, don't get high, get help. You don't want to face the consequences of the alternative.