Dangerous social media trend involving breathing toxic fumes kills 11-year-old boy
CTV
An 11-year-old boy in the U.K. died last week after participating in due to his participation in a dangerous social media trend that can pose major health risks and even lead to death.
An 11-year-old boy in the U.K. died last week after participating in due to his participation in a dangerous social media trend that can pose major health risks and even lead to death.
Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington, suffered a suspected cardiac arrest on Saturday after taking part in what TikTok users call “chroming," his family announced.
Chroming, also known as "huffing," is the act of inhaling the fumes of household chemicals such as nail polish remover, hairspray, aerosol deodorant or permanent markers.
Despite the trend recently gaining attention on social media, a 2017 report found that 684,000 adolescents engaged in huffing or sniffing chemicals in 2015 in the U.S. (ill hyperlink in pol but link below)
Understanding Adolescent Inhalant Use (samhsa.gov)
According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), certain chemical vapours and toxic fumes produce a high when breathed in.
“Most of the substances used as inhalants, such as glue, gasoline, cleaning solvents and aerosols, have legitimate everyday uses, but they were never meant for human consumption,” states the CAMH website. “Inhalants are cheap, legal and easy to get. They have a high potential for abuse — especially by children and young adults.”
