What is chroming? Why parents in Australia are warning of a ‘huffing’ trend after the death of their daughter

The parents of a 13-year-old girl who died after taking part in “chroming” are warning about the dangers of the popular drug trend.

Esra Haynes, from Melbourne, went into cardiac arrest and sustained irreparable brain damage after chroming at a friend’s sleepover on 31 March this year.

Her distraught parents have now spoken publicly about their daughter’s death to warn of the dangers of the drug trend being embraced by teenagers.

What is chroming?

Chroming is another word for huffing or sniffing and involves inhaling toxic chemicals, such as those found in aerosol cans, paint or hairspray.

Inhaling chemicals in this way can create a short-term high that is similar to being drunk. The method is particularly popular with teenagers seeking a way to get high without using hard drugs. However, it can be extremely dangerous.

Chroming is not new, but renewed attention is being paid to the trend following a number of deaths, including that of Esra Haynes.

What happened to Esra Haynes?

Esra Haynes went into cardiac arrest after inhaling chemicals from a can of deodorant at a friend’s sleepover.

She spent eight days on life support in hospital, but her family decided to turn off the machines after being told by doctors her brain was damaged beyond repair.

Speaking to media in their home country of Australia on Tuesday, Esra’s parents said: “To get this phone call at that time of night, (it) was one of the calls no parent ever wants to have to receive and we unfortunately got that call: ‘Come and get your daughter.’

“We’ve got the pictures in our mind which will never be erased, you know, of what we were confronted with.”

Why is chroming so dangerous?

According to the UK-based drugs advisory service Frank there are over 50 deaths a year involving glues, gases, solvents and aerosols.

Users can die in a number of ways, including a heart attack or by passing out and choking on their own vomit.

Inhaling substances in this way makes it extremely difficult to take a safe dosage, so while a small amount can create a high, too much can result in a coma or even death.