The deadly 'chroming' social media challenge has been explained after an 11-year-old boy died 'instantly' after taking part.
Tommie-lee Gracie Billington from Lancaster, England, took part in the dangerous social media trend and ultimately lost his life, his family say.
The young lad was at a pal's house when the attempted stunt took place, according to his grandmother. He tragically died on March 2.
The police have since said the boy's death is 'unexplained', though his family believe his tragic passing is due to Tommi-Lee's attempt at the social media trend.
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Tommie-lee's grandmother Tina Burns told the Lancashire Post that the whole family is 'devastated'.
"We need the cause, the reason to get out there in the media of what killed my grandson," she told the newspaper.
"He died instantly after a sleepover at a friend's house. The boys had tried the TikTok craze 'chroming'."
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Tina continued: "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."
TikTok has denied that the trend is specific to the video sharing platform.
Esra Haynes, 13, from Australia also lost her life after inhaling toxic chemicals last year.
The family are now hoping to rise awareness of the trend.
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Her sister, Imogen, told 7News: “We definitely have a mission to raise awareness for kids and anyone that does it.
“We don’t want that to happen to anyone else. We don’t want another family to go through this, it’s absolutely horrible.”
So what exactly is 'chroming'?
What is the 'chroming challenge'?
The challenge, also known as huffing or sniffing, is essentially when someone inhales toxic chemicals.
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Some of these toxic chemicals could be paint, solvent, aerosol cans, glue, cleaning products, or petrol.
The term chroming started to be used in Australia from the mid-Noughties, and by 2019 7News was reporting on a 'chroming epidemic' among young people in Brisbane.
It's since spread around the world via social media.
What are the risks of chroming?
While offering an initial 'high', inhaling these substances can affect the central nervous system and slow down brain activity.
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Symptoms include slurred speech, dizziness, and hallucinations.
While those taking part in the challenge might also suffer from nausea, vomiting, and disorientation.
And worst case scenario, inhaling the likes of paint and solvent can result in a heart attack or suffocation.
Permanent damage could also be inflicted on the brain, liver, and kidneys.
Topics: Social Media, Health, News
Callum Jones