A 12-year-old boy, Oliver Gorman, tragically died after inhaling Lynx deodorant in a dangerous social media craze known as “chroming,” an inquest revealed today. Just 45 minutes after returning from a family holiday, Oliver’s mother found him unresponsive in his bedroom, surrounded by empty aerosol cans. He was rushed to Tameside General Hospital but could not be saved.
Oliver, described by his mother as a “sweet” Year 7 pupil, had been affected by teasing over his curly hair, though the school found no evidence of bullying. The coroner concluded that Oliver had not intended to take his own life and called for stricter age restrictions on aerosol deodorants and clearer warnings about the dangers of inhalant abuse.
Assistant coroner Andrew Bridgman also supported the family’s campaign to bar under-18s from TikTok, the platform linked to the chroming trend. Police were unable to access Oliver’s phone, so it is unclear exactly how he became exposed to the challenge.
Oliver’s mother, Clare Gillespie, who tried desperately to resuscitate her son, urged parents to monitor their children’s social media use: “I don’t want any parent to go through what I did that day.”
Chroming involves inhaling toxic fumes from products such as deodorants, hairspray, or nail polish remover to achieve a “high.” Oliver had just returned from a holiday and went to his bedroom feeling tired. When he did not respond, his mother found him under his duvet with empty deodorant cans nearby. A post-mortem confirmed he died from butane inhalation.
Cans of deodorant carry small warnings about solvent abuse, but the coroner said these labels are insufficient and called for them to be more prominent. He also recommended banning under-16s from buying aerosol deodorants, aligning with age restrictions on other hazardous sprays.
Oliver’s family has launched a campaign called “Oliver’s Awareness” to encourage young people experiencing bullying to speak out. They also advocate stricter age limits on TikTok, highlighting how social media challenges can expose children to dangerous behaviors.
Chroming has circulated online for years, but platforms like TikTok have faced scrutiny for promoting dangerous trends, including the “blackout challenge,” linked to several teen deaths. TikTok stated that it blocks content promoting harmful activities and directs users to its Safety Centre when searching for dangerous hashtags.
The coroner concluded Oliver was not depressed but may have been feeling low. He emphasized the need for parental vigilance and stricter safety measures on social media and consumer products to prevent similar tragedies.
