Teenager dies after putting a towel over his head and inhaling spray from a deodorant can

A 19-year-old recovering drug addict died when he inhaled deodorant in an attempt to get high, doctors have revealed in a case report.

Medics told the story of the unnamed teenager in a stark warning to people of the dangers of sniffing solvents.

The unnamed man, believed to have been in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, died after his heart stopped and he could not be revived by paramedics.

The unfortunate teenager was in rehab for his cannabis and ketamine use when he relapsed and looked for a different way to intoxicate himself.

He put a towel over his head and inhaled the spray from a deodorant can, which can quickly make users feel lighthead, dizzy and happy.

But he soon became hyperactive and, not long after, went into cardiac arrest, according to doctors writing in BMJ Case Reports.

When someone has a cardiac arrest their heart stops pumping blood properly and they will quickly pass out, stop breathing and will die without medical attention.

It is well known that sniffing solvents – also known as volatile substances – can stop the heart and cause what is called sudden sniffing death.

Inhalant abuse is thought to account for the deaths of up to 125 people a year in the US, and is reportedly popular among teenagers from poorer backgrounds. Figures show 64 peo- ple died from solvent abuse in the UK in 2016.

After the 19- year- old had stopped breathing he needed six rounds of defibrillation and was put in a medically-induced coma on an intensive care ward, but doctors were unable to revive him.

His condition didn't improve while in intensive care and medics said continuing to try and save him would be ' pointless', before withdrawing his life support.

' The misuse of volatile substances is one of the least known methods to attain an altered state by drugs,' the authors wrote in their report.

They warned young people with a history of drug abuse are at particularly high risk of harming themselves this way because many common household items can be used.

'The main toxic substance in deodorant spray inhalation is butane,' the medics explained.

' Butane is one of the hydrocarbons commonly used in propellants in sprayable household products.

'Hydrocarbons are lipophilic [fat soluble] and therefore easily cross the air-blood and bloodbrain barrier.

'It [butane] dissolves into tissues with a high fat content such as the nervous system, fat tissue, liver and kidneys.'

Although their report only examines an isolated case, deaths from inhaling volatile substances are known to date back to 1975.