The boy’s grandmother said he died immediately after spending the night at a friend’s house.
An 11-year-old British boy named Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington is trying The “Chrome Plating” Challenge at friend’s house.
The boy’s grandmother said: “He died instantly after spending the night at a friend’s house. The boys tried ‘chromeing’ in the TikTok craze. Tommy Lee went into immediate cardiac arrest and died at the scene. The hospital tried their best to bring him back but to no avail To no avail. He’s gone.”
What is “Chroming”—the latest trend on TikTok?
Chrome plating is a dangerous recreational activity that involves inhaling dangerous household chemicals and substances such as nail polish remover, hair spray, aerosol deodorant, lighter fluid, gasoline, paint thinner, spray paint and permanent markers such as Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.
This form of drug use can produce a temporary euphoric effect, but according to American Addiction Centerit is dangerous and can cause adverse effects such as dizziness, vomiting, heart failure and brain damage.
When inhaled, these chemicals are absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs and can affect various organs. Cognitive abnormalities caused by inhalants range from mild impairment to severe dementia. According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation of Australia, regular use of inhalants is linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety and other substance abuse problems. While inhalants may not directly cause these illnesses, their use may trigger or worsen them. Additionally, people who regularly use inhalants are more likely to experience stressful events, according to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation.
A 2018 report showed that long-term exposure to these toxic inhalants study, which can lead to memory loss, lowered IQ, difficulty concentrating, and impaired judgment. Another variation of chrome plating involves inhaling “whippets” (also known as “laughing gas” or “hippie crackle”), which refer to cartridges filled with nitrous oxide. Although these cartridges can be legally used to inflate balloons, it is illegal to inhale them for recreational purposes.
According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health ReportAccording to statistics, in 2015, approximately 684,000 teenagers aged 12 to 17 smoked or inhaled toxic chemicals. The report also highlighted that a total of 1.8 million teenagers aged 12 and over were involved in the behavior that same year, with inhalant use generally decreasing with age. By eighth grade, about one in five children has used inhalants, the DEA reports.
