Parents of children and teenagers who have been affected by the dangerous social media trend of 'chroming' have warned others that the effects could be deadly.
In September 2024, it was reported that Cesar Watson-King, 12, was lucky to be alive after suffering a life-threatening cardiac arrest, reportedly as a result of chroming.
His case comes after 11-year-old Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington died in March 2024 after being found unresponsive at a sleepover.
As reported by The Mirror, Billington was found unresponsive at a friend's house in Lancaster, England, on March 2. He suffered a suspected cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital. Sadly, medics were unable to save him.
Billington's heartbroken grandmother, Tina Burns, claimed that her grandson's death was a result of taking part in the viral trend called "chroming".
"He died instantly after a sleepover at a friend's house," she told the outle. "The boys had tried the TikTok craze 'chroming'. Tommie-Lee went into cardiac arrest immediately and died right there and then. The hospital did everything to try and bring him back but nothing worked. He was gone."
Billington's grandma has claimed that her grandson died as a result of 'chroming'. Credit: Fiordaliso / Getty
What is chroming?
Chroming is a dangerous and sometimes even fatal trend, particularly among young children and teenagers - where chemicals in aerosol cans are inhaled for a temporary high.
The methods used include huffing, which involves putting the chemicals on a cloth and holding it over the mouth and nose to inhale, bagging involves inhaling the substances from a bag, sniffing or snorting directly from the container, and spraying the chemicals directly into the nose or mouth.
One of the most well-known methods is inhaling nitrous oxide - which is most commonly referred to as laughing gas. Nitrous oxide is usually sold in single-use canisters, which are then disseminated into balloons and inhaled, but in certain countries, it can be prohibited to use recreationally.
The American Addiction Center says chroming is more prevalent among younger people who have no access to other drugs. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health also discovered that in the US, around half a million people using inhalants were between the ages of 12 and 17.
One of the most well-known methods of chroming is inhaling nitrous oxide - which is mostly referred to as laughing gas. Credit: Malcolm P Chapman / Getty
What are the effects of chroming?
The Journal of Drug and Alcohol Research explained that while some people look for a temporary high, the side effects of chroming can include, nausea, dizziness, slurred speech, vomiting, and disorientation.
These could sometimes be short-lived, but the viral craze can also result in more life-threatening complications - such as cardiac arrest, suffocation, coma, seizures, and even choking.
The report also detailed that long-term abuse of these inhalants can lead to cognitive decline.
The late boy's grandma said the family is calling on the social media platform to do more to protect children.
Credit: GoFundMe
"Both our families are utterly devastated but we all want the same thing. We don't want any other children to follow TikTok or be on social media," she said. "In fact, we want to get TikTok taken down and no children to be allowed on any social media under 16 years of age.
"This is breaking us all but we want to help save other children's lives and give families awareness to keep their children safe. I have had so many messages from parents thanking me for making them aware," Tina added.
Billington's devastated mom, Sherri, also urged parents to "hide all deodorants from their children" so they are unable to take part in chroming,
"As much as I hate talking about it, I need to raise awareness of what kids are trying nowadays. Please, please, please hide all deodorants from your children," she penned. "This cost my son his life from trying something other kids are doing. They are using this and breathing them in to try get a buzz."
