Judge MacLean said he was prompted into carrying out a review on huffing after the pair suffered critical injuries following the explosion of 9kg lpg bottles, from which they were believed to be huffing.
He told the Otago Daily Times he was surprised to discover there had been 30 huffing-related deaths in 11 years, and this prompted a review of coronial findings.
"When I started to have a look at it I thought, hang on, it is worse than I thought."
Many coronial findings had not been acted on, but "the truth of the matter is there are very few recommendations" that could work for such readily available products, he said.
He urged people to keep an eye on vulnerable young people, but was struck "how families are often unaware that this is going on".
"This is a ghastly thing to do to yourself and this latest incident illustrates that. It is stupid. It is just not worth it."
His review was expected to be completed within days, and he was also expecting a response from the Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee concerning the issue.
Committee chairman Dr Nick Baker said it had begun looking at youth risk-taking behaviour and injuries several years ago.
The committee noticed poisoning was the second most common cause of injury or death for young people, and the inhalation of solvents or volatile gases made up a "chunk of those deaths".
A report was due to go for stakeholder consultation later this month, and the challenge remained: "what on earth do we do about it?"
Many dangerous compounds were easily available, and reducing access via legislative or voluntary means remained a possible solution, Dr Baker said.
"These are mind-altering substances that young people use to get a buzz, and the tragedy is the dose that one day might give them a buzz might one day kill them.
"They are extremely poisonous substances to the heart and the brain ... when you are inhaling something like this, you are not inhaling air and you get short of oxygen and if you have some source of ignition you get some sort of explosion," Dr Baker said.
Emergency services were called to Mosgiel at 2pm on Monday following reports of loud explosions and two burning teenagers fleeing a house fire.
The pair, Brendon McLeod (17) and Jamie Jury (18), were allegedly "huffing" (inhaling gas) from a 9kg lpg bottle, when the heat from a portable gas heater ignited a fireball in the lounge of the Gordon Rd house.
Mr McLeod remains in a stable but serious condition after he was transferred from Dunedin Hospital to Middlemore Hospital burns centre on Tuesday.
Mr Jury remains in critical condition in Dunedin Hospital, with burns to 60% of his body.
His father, Steven Jury, told Fairfax Media his son was too critical to move.
"It is just one hour at a time, a wait-and-see game. His burns are quite serious. There will be a lot of surgery, years of it, I think."
East Otago Fire Service assistant area commander Trevor Tilyard said there were four 9kg gas bottles inside the Gordon Rd property - and he reminded the public the legal limit was two.
New Zealand was one of the few countries that allowed freestanding unflued has heaters and "we will watch the Chief Coroner's findings with interest" he said.
Mr Tilyard said the pair were believed to be huffing from two 9kg gas bottles in the lounge, and both bottles exploded, as well as another 9kg bottle in the room.
The fourth bottle, which was stored in another room, fortunately did not ignite, he said.
"Their clothing were so impregnated with lpg that when the explosion happened it blew the soles of their shoes off, their clothing burst into flames, and skin and tissue was spread on all four walls and the ceiling in that room.
"The skin was falling off them on the footpath, and one of our firefighters said you could see the degloved skin of his hand ... it was just like pulling off a rubber glove and left lying on the footpath."
A report on the incident will be sent to the Fire Service's national headquarters.
Warning signs
Evidences of solvent abuse can be difficult to distinguish from "normal" adolescent behaviour.
The following list may be indicators that a child is possibly abusing propellants, though it is by no means foolproof. -
• Chemical smells on breath or clothing.
• Empty canisters left in areas the child may have been, for example, the bedroom.
• Drunken-type behaviour, such as a dazed or dizzy appearance once alcohol consumption is eliminated as a likely cause.
• Mixing with new friends, especially if they hang out in secluded places.
• Mood swings or a general change in behaviour that cannot be explained by normal teenage behaviour.
• Changed sleeping or eating patterns.
SOURCE: National Poisons Centre
