A 12-year-old boy from Doncaster has been left in a critical condition after participating in a dangerous social media trend known as "chroming." The boy, Cesar Watson-King, reportedly inhaled toxic fumes from a can of anti-perspirant, leading to a severe medical emergency.
The incident occurred last month when Cesar, after being introduced to the trend by an older boy, attempted the practice at home. Chroming, which involves inhaling fumes from household items like deodorant, hairspray, and nail polish remover to achieve a brief high, has gained traction among younger generations on social media platforms. However, it carries significant health risks, including potential heart attacks and cardiac arrest.
According to a report in Daily Mail, Cesar’s mother, Nichola King, discovered her son on the kitchen floor having a seizure shortly after the incident. She immediately performed CPR in a desperate attempt to revive him while her eldest son called emergency services. Paramedics arrived quickly and transported Cesar to Doncaster Royal Infirmary, where he experienced multiple seizures and went into cardiac arrest several times before being placed in a medically induced coma.
Recalling the harrowing experience, King described the moment she found her son unconscious. "I heard a loud bang and thought one of the kids had fallen. When I reached him, his eyes were rolling back into his head, and he stopped breathing. I thought he was gone," she said. The discovery of chroming paraphernalia by police at the scene confirmed that Cesar had inhaled anti-perspirant before collapsing.
The chroming trend, which first emerged as slang in Australia, has resurfaced on social media, leading to similar incidents among young people. Inhaling such fumes disrupts the central nervous system, resulting in symptoms ranging from dizziness and hallucinations to life-threatening conditions like cardiac arrest.
England’s drug and aerosol abuse charity, Talk to Frank, has highlighted the risks associated with inhaling such substances, reporting over 50 related deaths annually. The charity emphasised that even a small amount of inhalant can lead to fatal consequences.
King, who has since shared images of paramedics working to save Cesar, hopes to raise awareness of the dangers of chroming. "I had never heard of it before this. When police told me what had happened, I thought he was going to die," she stated. She has also urged parents to become first-aid trained, believing it could be the difference between life and death in such emergencies.
Cesar was later transferred to Sheffield Children’s Hospital, where he was kept in a coma for 48 hours. Remarkably, he was discharged eight days later, regaining his ability to breathe, walk, and talk. However, concerns about long-term damage remain, particularly with his short-term memory.
King has since discarded all aerosol products from her home and issued a stern warning to other children and parents about the risks of chroming. "It might feel good in the moment, but it’s not worth the pain and the danger," she cautioned. "Parents should be vigilant and ensure they know how to respond in these situations."
This incident follows similar tragedies, including the death of 11-year-old Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington in Lancaster earlier this year, and 14-year-old Sarah Mescall from Ireland, both of whom succumbed after attempting the chroming trend.
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