‘Chroming’ is killing some kids. Experts explain this trend

(CNN) — For the younger generation, “chroming” is the new huffing.

The dangerous practice is a means of getting high via inhaling hydrocarbons by misusing a variety of legal products, including permanent markers, aerosol deodorant, nail polish, metallic paint, computer duster, carburetor cleaner, paint thinners, gasoline and hair spray, said Dr. Anthony Pizon, professor of emergency medicine and chief of the division of medical toxicology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

The term comes from the aftereffect of inhaling metallic paints sprayed on a rag, which leaves a chrome or metallic residue on one’s face, Pizon said.

Common forms of chroming involve inhaling, via nose or mouth, directly from the container or from a rag or plastic bag saturated with the product of choice, said Dr. Betty Choi, a pediatrician and author of “Human Body Learning Lab: Take An Inside Tour of How Your Anatomy Works.”

“People have been inhaling fumes for centuries,” Choi said via email. “According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, inhalant abuse peaked in the 1990s and was downtrending over the last two decades. But in recent years, experimentation rates among teens have risen again.”

The number of 12- to 17-year-old American adolescents using inhalants has declined from 684,000 in 2015 to 554,000 in 2022, according to the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. But over the past several years, young people have typically used inhalants more than any other group older than age 12, and the numbers are creeping up again, reaching at least 564,000 in 2023, according to SAMHSA.

“There’s often an underlying psychiatric component of these kids who are just looking to relax or self-medicate,” Pizon said. Rates of anxiety, depression and other mood problems have been rising among young people.

There is also the widespread prevalence of substance inhaling-related content on various social media platforms, experts said.

Some TikTok users had been posting videos under the term “WhipTok,” for example, which plays on the term “whippets” to refer to the general practice of inhaling substances, including nitrous oxide, Choi said — but TikTok now attempts to prohibit users from viewing any content with the tag by directing its users to helplines and resources on the effects of substance misuse.

“Most of these products are easy to find in homes and cheap to buy in stores,” Choi said. “(Chroming) can become addictive when it’s done over and over again.”

Here’s what else you should know about the risks of chroming, signs of dependency and how to talk to young people about the practice.

The effects of chroming on health

Some teens have told Choi they think that compared with other drugs, huffing or chroming isn’t a big deal since the products they are misusing are legally available (but for their intended, legitimate purposes) and commonly found in everyday activities, she said. Many state legislatures have tried to restrict the sale of these products to minors.

But there are serious risks of both short- and long-term abuse of these products, and sometimes “kids that are engaging in this activity are likely at risk of seeking more potent drugs,” Pizon said.

The short-term effects, which can be immediate and last a few hours, are similar to those of alcohol intoxication, Choi said — there may be a mix of euphoria with lightheadedness, clumsiness, slurred speech or disinhibition. Nausea, vomiting, cardiac issues, seizures, muscle weakness, drowsiness or trouble breathing are also possible, Pizon said.

Consequences of repeated chroming can include poor performance at school, kidney or liver dysfunction, electrolyte disturbances, neuropathy, addiction, brain or heart damage, memory and concentration problems, ulcers, nosebleeds, mental health disorders, and mood changes such as apathy, paranoia or irritability, experts said.

Chroming can also be fatal, and the amount and frequency that leads to that outcome is unpredictable, experts said. It can depend on both the product used and personal health, but sometimes a single session can lead to death, Choi said.

Risk levels can also depend on the products and methods used, such as when bagging causes suffocation, Choi said.

How many young people die from inhalant use each year isn’t conclusively known. But in March, a mother from the United Kingdom reported that her 11-year-old son died from a suspected cardiac arrest after he huffed toxic chemicals while at a friend’s house for a sleepover. That tragedy followed the news of the deaths of a 13-year-old Australian girl in 2023 and two 16-year-old boys in 2019. There have also been reports of hospitalizations and brain damage.

Protecting kids from substance misuse

Preventing kids from chroming can be difficult since the items used are often household or hobby items. But if there are any products you don’t need or don’t use often, get rid of them or lock them up, Pizon said.

In addition to the aforementioned effects of chroming, Choi said, other signs a kid is engaging in the practice include frequent nosebleeds or sores in or around the mouth or nose, which can result from chemicals eroding the lining of those parts.

Also watch for these products in your child’s room, as well as worsening school performance or decreased interest in activities, Pizon said. Be attentive to their activities and what they have access to.

“The best way to approach chroming is to approach it like other dangers — an ongoing conversation over time,” Choi said. Engaging with your child can look like comments such as “Let’s cap on those markers because the strong fumes can give you a headache,” or “Those painters are wearing N95 masks because spray paint is dangerous to breathe in.”

In more formal discussions, always lead with empathy, ask open-ended questions and listen to your kids without interrupting, shaming or jumping to conclusions, Choi said. Say you understand that chroming may not seem like a big deal when their friends or people online are doing it, but people sometimes try things out of curiosity, and it’s much more dangerous than it may seem.

Try telling them, “It can permanently screw up your brain, heart and other organs. Some kids have even died the first time. I love you and want to make sure you know the facts. My job is to help you make safe decisions about your body,” Choi suggested.

Remind your child that if they ever feel pressured or curious, you’re always here to listen, and together, you can find other fun ways to spend time with friends and brainstorm ways to avoid situations in which chroming might come up.

“If they feel safe and supported, they are more likely to open up and share their thoughts with you,” Choi said.

You can also try limiting social media or using apps that help you monitor what your child is seeing online, Pizon said.

Being involved with your kids and asking them if the effects of chroming fit into their own immediate or long-term goals for their life can be helpful for opening their eyes to the dangers.

If you notice chroming is a recurring problem for your child, they may have a dependency they can’t easily stop despite your intervention, Pizon said. Ask their primary care provider for professional resources in your area.

Confusion, numbness, drowsiness, hallucinations, fainting and seizures are common signs of a chroming overdose, for which you should get help and call 911 or a local poison center right away, experts said.

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