More chroming teens go to hospital

HOSPITALISATIONS for teens suffering from chroming sickness have increased for the fifth straight year as a teacher’s call to ban an aerosol deodorant linked to the devastating habit goes unheard.

Hospitalisations have increased by 40 per cent among people under 19 and are up 11 per cent overall from the 2018/19 to 2019/20.

There were 115 people put in Queensland hospitals 157 times due to chroming, 63 of them were 19 years and under.

It is the fifth straight year of increases in hospitalisations of people under 19.

Brisbane schoolteacher Majella Ritchie has been educating children and politicians about the dangers of the activity for years. She said ingredients in a particular deodorant need to change and should be locked away until they are.

“Firstly Rexona (needs) to change their ingredients to prevent the deodorants being used in a dangerous way,” Ms Ritchie said.

“Secondly, while the ingredients are being changed, retailers need to remove the items from their shelves and store them in a locked facility.”