An inquest has revealed the tragic death of a ‘sweet’ 12-year-old boy due to participation in a perilous online trend.
The trend, called ‘chroming’, is endangering the lives of young people worldwide. This social media phenomenon is highly risky, involving young individuals inhaling ‘all sorts of hydrocarbons’.
This activity typically involves inhaling hazardous chemicals from items like deodorant cans to achieve a brief high.
Tragically, children are losing their lives to this alarming trend, including 11-year-old Tommie-lee Gracie Billington from Lancashire, UK, who passed away last year as a result of chroming.
In 2023, Australian teenager Esra Haynes also succumbed to the dangers of chroming.
Recently, another young life was claimed by this troubling online craze. Oliver Gorman, a resident of Tameside, was discovered unresponsive in his bedroom in May.
Oliver’s mother called for emergency assistance and performed CPR on the 12-year-old.
Sadly, efforts to save Oliver were unsuccessful.
A number of empty deodorant bottles were discovered in his room, and a post-mortem examination revealed that he died from inhaling butane gas, a common propellant in aerosol deodorants.
Assistant coroner Andrew Bridgman concluded the death as a misadventure. He noted that Oliver ‘must have been feeling a bit low’ but found ‘no evidence’ suggesting he deliberately inhaled the aerosol to take his own life.
It’s uncertain how Oliver became aware of chroming, as police have been unable to access his personal devices.
Reflecting on this, Bridgman remarked: “It strikes me that this ‘Chroming’ comes from TikTok challenges,” adding: “When or how Oliver became aware of this recreational enjoyment, I don’t know.”
He argued that the warning labels on deodorant bottles were inadequate. They mention that ‘solvent abuse can kill instantly’, but Bridgman pointed out that these warnings were ‘small’ and overshadowed by other information, and butane is a propellant, not a solvent.
Oliver’s grieving mother is now focused on raising awareness about the dangers of chroming.
She expressed, according to Metro Online: “We just want to raise awareness for children and parents.”
“The speed of it was shocking. He spent just 20 minutes in his bedroom, and he was gone.”
“No parent should have to go through what I did for my boy… performing CPR and mouth-to-mouth. That image will forever haunt me.”
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.