Chroming, inhaling chemicals to get high, is the new dangerous trend launched on social media

Is called** chroming** yet another trend dangerous for health, but flaunted on social media: according to new research presented during the 2024 national conference ofAmerican Academy of Pediatricsmany young people, looking for a thrilling experience, have begun to inhale a wide range of toxic chemicals from absolutely legal itemswhich can be easily found at home, such as nail polish or permanent markers. And this new trend – called chroming from the effect of inhaling metallic paints sprayed on a rag, which leave a chrome or metallic residue on the face – has been launched precisely by the videos showing this practice on TikTok.

«What is particularly worrying about the chroming is that it uses everyday household objects that are easily accessible to adolescents,” said Keerthi Krishna, a research assistant at Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center and first author of the research presented at the AAmerican Academy of Pediatrics. «The nature of these objects makes parents and teachers less likely to discover the chromingsignificantly increasing the risk of repeated use and addiction among adolescents.”

The chroming generally produces un brief euphoric state, which creates a high potential for addiction. Inhalant abuse can then lead to dizziness, brain damage and even death.

The authors of the research analyzed 109 videos on chroming (which had obtained more than 25 million views): permanent markers (31%) were the most used item for this practice, followed by compressed air spray (17%), nail polish (12%), paint thinner (11%), petrol, deodorant spray and hairspray. More than half of the videos referred to the repetition of this practice.

It is not known for certain how many young people die each year from inhalant use. But, in March, a British mother reported that his 11-year-old son died of a suspected cardiac arrest after inhaling toxic chemicals while at a friend’s house for a sleepover. Before that tragedy, the deaths of a 13-year-old Australian girl were reported in 2023 and two 16-year-old boys in 2019. There were also reports of hospital admissions and brain damage.

In reality, it is the return to fashion of a trend from the past, which had faded. “People have been inhaling fumes for centuries,” he explained to the CNN Betty Choi, pediatrician and author of Human Body Learning Lab: Take An Inside Tour of How Your Anatomy Works. «According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health of 2020, Inhalant abuse peaked in the 1990s and has declined over the past two decades. But in recent years, testing rates among adolescents have increased again.”