"I Think It's a Drug"... Hallucinogenic Symptoms from Dust Removal Spray, Sold Openly

Offline Sales Halted but Still Thriving Online
Excludes Items Prohibited for Youth... "Strict Management Required"

As dust removal sprays have been used as substitutes for drugs, major household goods stores have belatedly begun to suspend their sales.

According to the distribution industry on the 31st, nine commerce platforms (Naver, Lotte On, 11st, Interpark Commerce, Wemakeprice, Gmarket, Kakao, Coupang, Tmon) and offline household goods stores have taken full measures to stop selling the problematic dust removal sprays.

However, some sales are still ongoing online, mainly by individual sellers. This is because they are not classified as narcotics, so inhalation and sales regulations are not properly enforced.

The price of dust removal sprays is in the 2,000 won range. The problem is that inhaling the spray, which is different from its original purpose, has become a trend especially among teenagers.

Dust removal sprays mainly contain LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) components, but they are not classified as hallucinogens nor are they products prohibited for sale to teenagers. However, inhaling the gas causes strong hallucinations and addiction, resulting in severe aftereffects such as extreme brain damage, seizures, and cardiac arrest.

Given this situation, there is also a frequent phenomenon of drug addicts 'hoarding' sprays. However, due to insufficient punishment regulations or legal grounds, there is no way to regulate gas inhalation and sales, so dust removal sprays containing LPG components are still easily available online. Small offline household goods stores are also blind spots.

Dust removers sold at low prices online.
[Photo by Naver Shopping capture]

Meanwhile, according to data released by Nam In-soon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, a total of 1,200 people have been arrested over the past five years for violating the 'Chemical Substances Control Act.'

Looking at the arrest status by age group, there were ▲168 teenagers ▲400 people in their 20s ▲216 people in their 30s ▲221 people in their 40s ▲172 people in their 50s ▲20 people in their 60s, with people in their 20s accounting for the largest proportion at 33.3%.

Rep. Nam emphasized, "It has been revealed that dust removal sprays are used as alternative drugs that cause hallucinations. With a rapid increase in drug offenders in their teens and twenties, spray gases used as alternative drugs are highly addictive and very cheap, making them easily accessible to teenagers, so thorough management is required. A comprehensive government-level countermeasure is needed, including identifying blind spots for alternative drugs."

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