Experts Warn of Growing Inhalant Trend on TikTok as ‘Chroming’ Gains Popularity

A TikTok-inspired surge in sniffer use is putting children’s lives at risk, researchers warn. In a new study, researchers collected and analyzed dozens of videos that amassed millions of views for a trend, known as “chroming.”

Inhalant use has long been an ongoing public health problem. Various vapors or gases used as inhalants cause a euphoric, if usually short-lived, high, but long-term use can lead to complications such as brain damage or even death. The researchers behind this new study say that TikTok has sparked a new interest in inhalants among children and teenagers. In recent years, several families have alleged that their children have been seriously injured or killed by inhaling the air after being encouraged to do so as part of a viral “chroming challenge” exposed on the platform.

The scientists analyzed 109 chroming-related videos on social media that had more than 25 million views. They looked for information such as the creator’s age and gender, any specific homosexuals mentioned, and whether the creator discussed repeated use and addiction. Permanent markers appeared to be the most popular shortcuts referenced, with nearly one-third of videos discussing them, followed by air dusters, nail polish, paint thinner, and gasoline, the researchers found. More than half of the videos also refer to addiction. The team’s findings will be presented this weekend at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2024 National Conference & Exhibition.

“The biggest concern with chroming is that it uses everyday household items that are easily accessible to young people,” said lead scientist Keerthi Krishna, a research assistant at Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center in New York, in a statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics. “The hidden nature of these substances means that parents and teachers are less likely to see the behavior, which greatly increases the risk of repeated use and addiction among young people.”

Krishna and his team say parents and pediatricians need to be more aware of the dangers of inhaling. In response to suspicions of the death of chroming, TikTok banned the search term “chroming challenge” and other related terms earlier this year. These terms now return a warning about the use of inhalation. But journalists at Yahoo News were still able to find videos related to chroming after the ban (when they informed TikTok about this, the videos were removed). Researchers say social media companies should do more to keep this type of content from spreading.

TikTok isn’t the only thing that may be driving inhalant use. Children have been suffering from certain inhalant products sold over the counter or online, especially nitrous oxide products (often used to make whipped cream) sold by the gas company Gas Gas. The company has now stopped selling its cans of whipped cream and added a detailed warning about misusing their products immediately upon visiting its store website.