The plaintiff has until January 1996 to refile in Minnesota. In February 1995, Henkel released a water-based cement for industrial and retail customers. Although Fuller still sells toluene-based glue in other parts of Latin America, last year it began to replace toluene with cyclohexane in retail glues sold in Central America, something Henkel tried in 1994. Fuller argued that cyclohexane would solve the abuse problem because it is not attractive to inhale. Several regional producers continue to make toluene-based glue, though this practice is likely to be constrained by laws or regulations now under consideration in every Central American country.
Critics say the cyclohexane measure is inadequate.
Milton Tenenbein, a professor of pediatrics and head of Children's Hospital Poison Center at the University of Manitoba in Canada, says cyclohexane can cause sudden sniffing death. Cyclohexane is on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund list of hazardous toxins. Inhalant abuse experts are not always aware of such subtleties. Connolly says he was not aware that Fuller and Henkel had switched to cyclohexane. When it comes to H.B. Fuller, the position of the SRI community appears to be one of seeing, hearing and speaking no evil.