Deadly craze believed to have killed Lancashire boy promoted in more than 100 TikTok videos, study finds

What is the craze?

“Chroming" - also known as “huffing” - involves inhaling toxic fumes from household items such as paint, solvent, aerosol cans, nail polish or permanent markers.

Why is it dangerous?

Inhalant abuse can lead to dizziness, brain damage and even death.

‘Chroming’ believed to have killed Lancashire boy

Tommie-lee Gracie Billington, 11, died after he was found unresponsive at a friend's home in Greenset Close, Lancaster on Saturday, March 2.

His grandmother Tina Brown, who lives in South Ribble, said her grandson was rushed to hospital after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest at around 12.45pm.

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Sadly, paramedics were unable to save him.

At Preston Coroners Court, the area coroner Kate Bissett said the boy's friend had told his mother Tommie-lee lost consciousness after "inhaling toxic substances".

Police said the boy's death was being treated as unexplained, and whether he had inhaled substances was one line of inquiry.

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The coroner confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.

The boy's family did not attend the hearing, which was opened and adjourned.

Researchers claim resurgence in ‘chroming’ could be due to videos on TikTok

American researchers said a "resurgence" in chroming could be due to videos featuring the practice on TikTok that have been watched millions of times.

Study first author Keerthi Krishna, of Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center, New York, said: “What is particularly concerning about chroming is that it uses everyday household items that are easily accessible to teens.

“The covert nature of these items means that parents and teachers are less likely to detect the behaviour, significantly increasing the risk of repeated usage and addiction among adolescents.”

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There are approximately 34 million videos posted on TikTok daily.

The research team analysed 109 TikTok videos labelled #huffing or #chroming that together had gained more than 25 million views.

Of the videos analysed, permanent markers (31%) were the most common chroming item, followed by air dusters (17%), nail polish (12%), paint thinner (11%), petrol (11%), spray deodorant (11%), and hair spray (6%).

The age range of the video creators were estimated to be children (39%), college students (26%), young adults (22%) or anonymous (13%).

Half the creators were female (50%).

Of the 109 videos, 70% were memes; common memes included the phrase “in X years when the [chroming item] catches up to me”.

More than half of the videos (52 per cent) referenced repeated usage or addiction.

The researchers concluded that parents and doctors need to be aware of the trend and its dangers, and say social media companies should do more to prevent the spread of such harmful content.

Study author Rachel Kim, of Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center, said: "Our findings underscore the urgent need for increased moderation efforts from social media platforms like TikTok to stop the dissemination of chroming content.

"A concerning amount of video creators were minors, highlighting the vulnerability of children engaging in harmful behaviours.

"Chroming items are often common household items, making them readily accessible and cheap, with a high potential for addiction and severe health consequences.

"The high prevalence of chroming memes perpetuates its normalisation among youth, which may lead individuals to view chroming as a 'safer' and socially acceptable alternative to traditional drugs."

She added: "There is a strong need for paediatricians to discuss the dangers of chroming with caregivers and patients."

The findings are due to be presented at the American Academy of Paediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday.

What does TikTok say about the claims?

A spokesperson for TikTok said: "This behaviour long predates social media, is widely available on the internet, and is easily found on other platforms.

“Inexplicably, the authors chose to only look at TikTok to make wide-ranging assumptions and inaccurate conclusions.”

How can I keep my child safe on social media?

TikTok accounts for teenagers under 16 are set to private by default and can't access direct messaging.

All teens under 18s have a 60-minute screen time limit by default and can't host a livestream.

Through Family Pairing, parents can link their account to their teens' to enable a number of privacy and safety settings, such as setting screen time limits and turning on keyword filters.

TikTok’s Guardian's Guide is also designed to provide parents and guardians with an overview of the site and the many tools and controls that are used to keep the community safe.

The guide also provides general information on common internet safety concerns.

Additionally, the Teen Safety Centre educates younger people about the features and tools available for them on TikTok.