Because we humans are utterly incapable of controlling ourselves, manufacturers of product with the potential for abuse often take it upon themselves to protect us.

Case in point – manufacturers of Ar dusters. It has become trendy to inhale the fumes from these dusters to get a bit of a buzz. Because kids are doing this, rather than finding a better formulation, they are adding a “Bittering Agent” to discourage huffing.

I recently purchased a 6-pack of 3M Dust Removers from Sam’s club – they are just about the cheapest you will find. When checking out, I learned that you must be 21 years old to purchase them…
Drinking age… You can smoke cigarettes at 18, hold a full-time job at an office, be married and have kids (although you you are under 21 and doing all things things, I doubt it would last long…) but you would not be allowed to purchase a can of compressed air.

Ok, no biggie, I’m over 21.

So I get home and I get to using the can. I clean out my laptop keyboard, and desktop keyboard. I blow the dust from my motherboard. Occasionally, the can releases some liquid, since it is so very full.

Later on, after using my latop a bit, and most likely wiping my mouth with my hand, I notice that my lips are bitter. I remembered about hte bittering agent, and tasted my finger a bit. GAAAH!!!

My mouth was filled with a terrible bitterness that water would not relieve. I tried soap and water – no good. Nothing seems to take this stuff off.

So now my keyboards and a number of other items have bittering agent all over them, and there is nothing I can do to remove it.

Do me a favor – do not buy any dusters containing a bittering agent, and send the recommendation to everybody you know. Complain about it to the manufacturer and store owner. Using these products will make your hands bitter, and I can not find a way to remove it. Hopefully 3M has a solution. I wonder if this could be grounds for a lawsuit :-D…