Danger . . . Vapor Harmful: Spot-Remover Sniffing

Abstract
ON every label of a popular spot remover (Carbona) appears the warning: "Danger . . . Vapor Harmful." In spite of it, spot-remover sniffing is becoming popular among adolescents as yet another method for getting "high." The purpose of this paper is to alert physicians to the potential dangers of this habit.Trichloroethylene and 1,1,1-trichloroethane are the main components of the spot remover. These chemicals are widely used in the cleaning industry, where Federal law requires their concentration in the air to be maintained below 100 ppm. Accidental inhalation has been associated with encephalopathic symptoms and peripheral neuropathy.1 As Trilene, . . .