Thirteen-year-old Esra Haynes from Australia died last month after participating in a dangerous trend called chroming. The incident was brought to light in the latest episode of the Australian news program A Current Affair. The teenager’s parents shared the devastating story of their daughter’s tragic death.
The teen went into cardiac arrest on March 31 after she sniffed an aerosol deodorant can to get a quick high. It happened while she was at a slumber party.
Chroming also means "sniffing" or "huffing," which involves inhaling toxic chemicals, ranging from gasoline, paint, and glue to aerosols and solvents. These toxic chemicals typically attack the central nervous system and slow down the brain’s activities, creating a state of high. However, huffing can lead to severe side effects and can also be life-threatening.
Inhaling aerosol can result in dizziness, slurred speech, disorientation, and nausea. In some extreme cases, the person can also suffer heart attacks or breathing problems, as well as permanent damage to the brain, liver, or lungs. The practice is common among young people because they have less access to hard drugs.
Esra Haynes was on life support for eight days after chroming
Paul and Andrea, Esra's parents, spoke to host Allison Langdon about how the morning of March 31 was like any other morning for the family. Esra went to a friend's place for a sleepover and also to celebrate being named the co-captain of their under-14 footy club, a version of Australian soccer.
Esra, an eighth grader at Melbourne's Lilydale High School, did not have any pre-existing conditions and was a healthy, athletic teen. Her parents said they always knew where she was going and who she was going to be with. It was nothing out of the ordinary when she left for her friend’s slumber party that day.
Paul spoke about their devastation as they received a call later that night that every parent dreads. He added that, when they arrived at the scene, the images they had to confront, would never be erased from their memory.
They said the paramedics were trying to save their daughter’s life. Paul and Andrea were not aware of the term chroming before that. They were told that Esra took part in that dangerous trend, where people inhale propellant gas from aerosol deodorant cans to get a quick high.
When Esra was rushed to the hospital, she was already unresponsive and was placed on life support. Her parents made the agonizing decision to turn off the machines eight days later when doctors told them that her brain was damaged beyond repair. Esra's father continued:
“They’re asking us to bring in family, friends to say goodbye to our 13-year-old daughter. It was a very, very difficult thing to do to such a young soul.”
Her older siblings, Seth, Charlie, and Imogen, cuddled her till the end.
Esra Haynes' parents speak about chroming and its danger
Esra’s parents tried to spread awareness about chroming, letting everyone know that it is a lethal threat to young children. Paul said that, in his opinion, it was a pistol kept on the shelf. He said:
“We need the manufacturers to step up and really change the formulation or the propellants.”
Paul also argued about close social media monitoring as he believes that his daughter might have found out about the trend from social media. He further explained that kids don’t look beyond what is going to happen the next day and especially how things can affect them. He asserted that Esra would have never done it if she knew about the consequences.
This incident is not the first to occur from chroming. In 2019, a boy from New South Wales, aged 16, died from aerosol inhalation. In 2021, a girl from Queensland suffered brain damage from huffing.