Chroming: The Deadly Social Media Trend Claiming Teenagers’ Lives
A dangerous social media challenge known as “chroming” has tragically led to the loss of teenagers’ lives, with devastating outcomes. Recently, a 13-year-old girl from Australia lost her life after inhaling fumes from an aerosol deodorant can as part of this perilous trend. Her grieving parents are now speaking out in an effort to prevent further deaths caused by this troubling social media phenomenon.
Esra Haynes became a victim of chroming during a sleepover with friends on March 31. Initially, her friends mistook her symptoms for a panic attack, unaware that her body was actually shutting down. Haynes suffered cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital, where she remained on life support for eight agonizing days.
Paul Haynes, the girl’s father, shared their heart-wrenching story on the Australian program A Current Affair. Brain scans revealed irreversible damage, leading the family to make the heart-wrenching decision to remove life support. They are now committed to alerting other children to the dangers of this increasingly popular social media trend that offers a quick high.
Chroming is not a new issue and has resulted in numerous fatalities. The UNSW National Drugs and Alcohol Research Centre recorded 164 inhalant misuse-related deaths in Australia between 2000 and 2021, with teenagers accounting for nearly one-third of these cases.
Previous incidents include 16-year-old Chloe Rowe from Queensland, who suffered severe brain damage after sniffing deodorant in 2021. Another 16-year-old Australian boy passed away a year after inhaling substances from a deodorant can.
The term “chroming” originally referred to inhaling chrome-based paint but now includes the inhalation of volatile substances like petrol, glue, and solvents as recreational drugs.
According to The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, immediate symptoms after acute exposure may include hallucinations, slowed neurological functions, slurred speech, and loss of muscle control. However, chroming can lead to more severe complications such as brain injury, seizures, difficulty breathing, abnormally fast heartbeat, and even sudden death.
The tragic loss of young lives due to chroming underscores the perils associated with this alarming trend. It is essential for parents, educators, and society as a whole to raise awareness about the deadly consequences of these social media challenges and collaborate to shield vulnerable teenagers from succumbing to these harmful practices.
