Deadly chroming fad lands kids in hospital
Inhaling these substances can be particularly devastating for children whose young brains are still developing.
DR NATALIE LY
HUNDREDS of children have been rushed to hospital in the last three years after they became ill from chroming.
The Townsville University Hospital (TUH) has treated 296 kids and 106 adults since 2018 for chroming, with a doctor stationed inside the unit saying the trend was deadly.
Chroming is the act of inhaling “volatile” substances like deodorant, petrol, glue, paint, air fresheners, or aerosols.
Last year alone, 117 people were taken to the ED with chroming sickness, and of these patients, 79 were kids.
TUH Emergency Department deputy director Dr Natalie Ly said chroming caused serious brain damage.
“The long-term effects are very serious,” Dr Ly said.
“Inhaling volatile substances can deprive the body and brain of oxygen and cause cardiac irregularities which can lead to serious injuries such as hypoxic brain damage, cardiac arrest and can cause death.
“Inhaling these substances can be particularly devastating for children whose young brains are still developing.”
According to TUH, the hospital has seen 22 people after chroming this year, 14 of these were children.
The chroming numbers from last year showed a slight decrease from 2019, which recorded 169 presentations for chroming, including 118 children.
In 2018, the numbers were significantly fewer, with 94 presentations, including 85 children.
Early last year, chroming was put under the spotlight when a boy was photographed chroming in a Mount Louisa park while his
carer sat nearby, through her phone.
Dr Ly said children chrome to get a quick “high”.
“This can cause acute behavioural disturbances and aggression. However, these effects usually subside quickly once the source of the volatile substance has been removed from the user and the volatile substance is no longer being inhaled,” Dr Ly said. scrolling
In 2017, two Townsville teenagers died after inhaling chemical fumes, sparking a call for an industry-wide shake-up and prompting companies to ask supermarkets to lock up the cans.
Despite the deaths, this never became mandatory.
Townsville Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon said he had seen an increase in chroming around the city, which often resulted in police becoming involved.
“People who chrome often commit an offence to obtain the substance to get high … and they then become vulnerable and exposed to other crimes as a result,” Supt Hanlon said.
Last year, the state government held a roundtable discussion with aerosol companies, including Unilever, the parent company for Rexona, where it spoke about the need for a community-wide approach to stopping volatile substance abuse.
A spokesman from Unilever said since then it had introduced even more warnings on packaging and a youth services organisation to create an educational campaign.
“Any harm to a child is a tragedy and we are committed to tackling this complex issue as a collective to ensure we can minimise harm,” he said.