An 11-Year-Old Lost His Life After Participating in a New Social Media Trend. Now, His Parents Are Warning Others About the Everyday Household Item That Took Their Son’s Life.

In March 2023, Esra Haynes, a teenager from Australia, experienced a terrifying incident during a sleepover with friends. She went into cardiac arrest after taking part in the chroming challenge. Haynes suffered from the inhalation of chemicals from an aerosol deodorant can, leading to her reliance on life support for a duration of eight days and resulting in significant brain damage. Haynes’s family made the difficult decision to discontinue life support, and she passed away shortly thereafter.

Off topic

Chroming, also known as huffing, is a recreational activity that involves the use of inhalants as a drug. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, inhalants are everyday household products that can produce chemical vapors when inhaled, leading to mind-altering or psychoactive effects. According to the DEA, approximately 20% of children have experimented with inhalants by the time they reach eighth grade. When these chemicals are inhaled, they are absorbed by the lungs and then enter the bloodstream, potentially reaching other organs. Using inhalants can lead to cognitive abnormalities that can range from mild impairment to severe dementia.

According to the Australia-based Alcohol and Drug Foundation, regular inhalant use has been found to be linked to high rates of depression, anxiety, and other substance abuse issues. It’s important to note that inhalant use can potentially exacerbate or trigger these disorders, although it doesn’t necessarily mean that inhalants directly cause them. Regular users of inhalants are also more prone to experiencing stressful events, as reported by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation.