Warning for 2000-won 'Dust Removal Spray'

Available for Purchase by Anyone at Household Goods Stores
Highly Addictive with Serious Side Effects

Dust removal sprays, which can be purchased at household goods stores for between 2,000 and 3,000 won, are gaining popularity as substitute drugs among drug addicts, emerging as a social issue.

On the 7th, JTBC reported that computer cleaning dust removal sprays have spread by word of mouth among drug addicts as substitute drugs without the risk of crackdown. Not only are they easy to purchase, but the hallucination symptoms are as strong as drugs, leading addicts to hoard them, calling them "2,000 won drugs."

Kim, a college student in his 20s who quit methamphetamine after long treatment earlier this year, confessed that he has been addicted to inhaling dust removal spray gas for the past month. He told the media, "I thought I had quit drugs, but I learned about gas anew," adding, "(When inhaling the gas) I see many intricate things and get inspired."

A rapper who has released two albums also said he started inhaling spray three years ago. He told the media, "I thought it wasn't a drug, so I tried it. It is openly trending." According to him, the addiction surpasses most drugs. He added, "(Among drugs) fentanyl is the strongest, but (spray gas) even surpassed that existing drug."

It is also reported that some inpatients at drug addiction treatment hospitals bring the spray to the hospital and inhale it.

Despite the high addiction and serious side effects, there are currently no specific regulations. In a similar case, in the 1980s and 1990s, inhalation of butane gas by teenagers was severe, leading to purchase age restrictions and the addition of foul-smelling substances starting in 1997.

As controversy over the product grew, a large household goods store that sold dust removal sprays stopped selling the product on the same day.

Penalties Possible for Inhaling Dust Spray and Butane Gas

Inhaling butane gas, glue, or dust spray, which are not classified as narcotics, can be punished under the current Chemical Substances Control Act.

Article 22, Paragraph 1 of the Chemical Substances Control Act stipulates, "No one shall ingest or inhale chemical substances that cause excitement, hallucination, or anesthesia, as prescribed by Presidential Decree, or possess them for such purposes."

Article 59, Clause 6 of the same law states, "Anyone who violates Article 22 by ingesting or inhaling hallucinogenic substances or possessing them for such purposes, or anyone who knowingly sells or provides such substances to those intending to ingest or inhale them, shall be punished by imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to 50 million won."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.