A Dunedin man is dead after allegedly inhaling liquefied petroleum gas (lpg) in a South Dunedin flat yesterday morning, prompting the mother of a Christchurch victim to call for education programmes before another life is lost.
A St John ambulance crew was called to a Cutten St address, and contacted police at 12.10am after attempts to revive a 21-year-old man failed.
The CIB conducted a scene examination at the house yesterday.
Detective Sergeant Rob Hanna said the death had been referred to the coroner and declined to comment further.
The Otago Daily Times understands the man inhaled a propellant, believed to be lpg, and St John was contacted after he collapsed.
Last April, a 14-year-old and 18-year-old from Balclutha were admitted to Dunedin Hospital after inhaling lpg from a barbecue gas cylinder.
Senior Sergeant Richard Whitmore, of Balclutha, said at the time the incident had potentially tragic consequences.
One person who knows all about the dangers of inhaling lpg is Anne Wroblenski, whose son Nathan Cunningham died in Christchurch in 2007.
"There needs to be more publicity on how kids get hold of it and what the repercussions are.
"No-one wants to bury their own child," she said.
Ms Wroblenski said her son had been involved with "huffing" - or inhaling - lpg for only a few weeks before he died and "most kids don't know what they are getting into".
"There needs to be more public programmes on the issue."
It was impossible to ban such propellants, with insect sprays, air freshener, paint and lpg bottles all common in households, but more could be done to warn children and families of the danger, she said.
Echoing those concerns was New Zealand National Poisons Centre medical toxicologist Dr Michael Beasley, who said the centre received "regular" inquiries from all over New Zealand regarding propellants such as lpg.
While incidents were more prevalent among younger teenagers, it was not uncommon for children as "young as 10" to experiment with mildly addictive propellants, which produced a more euphoric high than alcohol, he said.
Lpg contained butane and propane, both common in household aerosols.
It was potentially lethal as, if inhaled, it could cause heart attacks, people to choke on their vomit, and respiratory depression.
Warning signs include children spending long periods in their rooms, sores and rashes around mouths, watery eyes and runny noses and difficulty sleeping and eating.
