New TikTok trends seem to come up every other day, with only the most popular sticking around and lasting social media’s test of time.
But one which has gained traction many is causing huge concern after it has seen children hospitalised and, in the worst case scenarios, die.
We’re talking about chroming, which is causing heartbreak for families all over the world after more and more kids take part in the so-called trend.
This isn’t a playful dance or viral sound to mime over though. It’s a lot more real and involves people inhaling dangerous chemicals. Also known as huffing or sniffing, people taking part in the trend are inhaling what is inside aerosol cans, paint, or cleaning products to name a few, to give them a ‘high’.
The fatal trend saw Tommie-Lee Billington from Lancaster in the UK die aged just 11. As well as Tommie-Lee, 13-year-old Australian girl Esra Haynes passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest in the moments after inhaling dangerous chemicals.
And just a few days ago, 12-year-old Cesar Watson-King, from Doncaster, almost died after taking part in the trend.
So, while the dangers are more than obvious, LADbible spoke to one doctor about exactly what the chroming trend is doing to your body and why it is so bad for your physiology.
13-year-old Esra Haynes died after inhaling toxic fumes (9News)
Doctor Michael McKinney is an American physician who focuses on substance abuse and public health. On chroming, he said: “When inhaled, these chemicals can cause immediate and long-term damage, including When inhaled, these chemicals can cause immediate and long-term damage.”
With that in mind, he highlights five serious risks to your health from chroming:
Brain damage
Not everyone who takes part in the trend ends up passing away or being hospitalised. But that doesn’t mean you’ve avoided being hurt, Dr McKinney stresses.
One of the big worries is that the chemicals in whatever you have inhaled will have an awful impact on your brain and future development, given that a lot of people doing the trend are young and either prepubescent or going through puberty.
He says: “The toxic chemicals have the potential to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and hence cause damage to the brain and hence, lead to learning difficulties among affected children.”
Chroming can lead to brain damage (Getty Stock Images)
Cardiac arrest
Sadly, chroming can bring about cardiac arrest.
This is where you collapse suddenly as your heart suddenly stops pumping blood around your body.
Dr McKinney said: “The use of inhalants may lead to the sudden failure of the heart commonly known as ‘sudden sniffing death syndrome’ and this may happen to a first-time user of the product.”
Respiratory issues
There is the chance that consuming these chemicals – which are not meant to inhaled – will lead to permanent damage to your body and harm your ability to breathe.
You are vulnerable to a number of issues as you get older.
“The substances when inhaled can lead to permanent damage of the lung tissue, respiratory failure, asphyxia or further illnesses such as chronic bronchitis,” Dr McKinney said.
You’re at serious risk of breathing issues if you partake in chroming (Getty Stock Images)
Liver and kidney damage
The chemicals being inhaled through chroming are toxic to your body.
That means your body is left having to work extra hard to get rid of these harmful chemicals from your system, with your liver and kidneys put in to overdrive.
Dr McKinney said: “Long-term utilisation of services may result in damage to important organs including the liver and kidneys because of the toxic content these organs are required to filter from the body.”
Addiction and behavioural issues
Dr McKinney says that young people who go down the chroming route may end up chasing the ‘high’ and thrill that the extreme act gives them. As a result, there is a fear that they could go after similar, or worse, routes to chase other ‘highs’ that put them at even more risk.
“Some of the users develop psychological dependence on the substance to produce a high which when chased they end up using the substance time after time, putting their lives at risk of overdosing, getting injured or developing severe psychological disorders,” he said.
“A lot of emphasis should be placed on raising the awareness of the youth about the ill effects of chroming.
“This is especially evident in the case of TikTok as various groups of people join this trend which indicates the necessity for parents, teachers, and other social media platforms to be more careful while protecting vulnerable persons.”