Teens sniff smoke from WHEELIE BINS to get high - shock drug claims
TEENAGERS are sniffing the fumes from burning wheelie bins to get high, it has been claimed.
Youngsters are reportedly burning wheelie bins and sniffing them
A waste management company has issued a warning about the dangers of the latest drug craze after it emerged youngsters were allegedly torching disposal units in order to inhale the toxic plastic fumes.
Anti-solvent abuse charities warned taking in bin fumes could be more dangerous than sniffing glue or petrol.
The bizarre craze has hit Britain, with cases reportedly up by more than 100 per cent in the last few months.
An example of a melted wheelie bin
Idiots stealing wheeled bins from outside homes and businesses, taking them to waste ground or parks, and torching them for whatever kicks they can derive
And now BusinessWaste.co.uk has warned that it is “only a matter of time” before someone is killed.
Mark Hall, spokesperson for the waste company, said: “We've seen reports from Wolverhampton, Hull, Glasgow and Swindon over recent weeks, and they're all the same.
“Idiots stealing wheeled bins from outside homes and businesses, taking them to waste ground or parks, and torching them for whatever kicks they can derive."
Wheelie bins are made from high density polyethylene – composed of double-bonded carbon and hydrogen molecules.
Experts believe youngsters are getting high over the fumes of melted wheelie bins
Burning an empty one releases carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. These deadly gases starve the brain of oxygen, giving a headache heavy short high.
Mr Hall said: "Just one aerosol might cause a potentially fatal explosion. "And bins stolen from business premises could contain just about anything that can cause fatal injury to the unwary.
"Our people are sick of having to scrape melted plastic from pavements and parks, and our clients hate the inconvenience of having their bins stolen."
The craze emerged a decade ago in South Yorkshire after police issued a warning to leave bins alone after 40 went up in smoke in the space of four months.
The craze emerged a decade ago
Mr Hall said: "There was a craze about 10 years ago and it died out.
"All of a sudden we are getting reports again. We have got a huge amount of them being burnt at the moment.
"It is growing - there is 100 per cent more than there was last month."
Stephen Ream, a spokesman for solvent abuse charity ReSolv, added: "It would be very dangerous, it sounds like it would make you sick before you got high.
"The fumes it would give off would be toxic."