Can deodorant or nail polish remover kill you? The question, on its face, might sound absurd — but that’s exactly why teens may unknowingly find themselves at risk, should they attempt what’s been coined “the chroming challenge.”

This viral trend first gained popularity on TikTok in 2023, as part of a larger uptick in teens experimenting with substances post-lockdown. Since then, there have been multiple highly publicized, accidental deaths associated with chroming in kids as young as 11 years old.

But panicking usually doesn’t make for good parenting. It’s easy to see sensational headlines and vow to keep your teen in a guarded fortress, at least until their brain is fully developed around age 25.

So how do parents confront the very real dangers of chroming, while keeping this trend in context and reacting appropriately?

We’ll unpack what chroming is, what signs to look for, and how to have a conversation with your teen that will foster a more trusting and connected relationship between you.

What is Chroming, Exactly?

Chroming refers to the inhalation of aerosol metallic paint (and chemically similar products like paint thinner, motor fuel, permanent marker, and glue) for the purposes of getting high.

Chroming usually produces an inebriated, intoxicating state. It is, unsurprisingly, more popular amongst young people due to the widespread availability of these types of products. 

The familiarity of household items makes chroming especially dangerous — many teens may be under the impression that these products are relatively harmless, due to how accessible and ordinary they appear to be.

Chroming vs Huffing: Are They the Same?

Initially, chroming referred to the specific practice of spraying paint into a paper bag, and then holding that bag over the mouth and/or nose to breathe in the fumes. The shiny, chrome-like paint residue that was left on users’ faces is believed to be the origin of the phrase “chroming.”

However, language evolves! As time has gone on, chroming and huffing are generally used as synonyms now (so, they mean the same thing, which is the recreational use of inhalants). 

Read next → Parents Want to Know: What is Huffing?

Common Methods For Chroming

There are five different methods that a teen may use to engage in recreational inhalant use, like chroming:

• Sniffing: Sniffing or snorting fumes directly from the product itself, like an uncapped permanent marker or nail polish remover.
• Spraying: Spraying aerosol containers directly into the nose or mouth.
• Bagging: Breathing in vapors from a plastic or paper bag, commonly used with aerosol or spray deodorant.
• Inhaling: Breathing in vapors directly, like from balloons filled with nitrous oxide.
• Huffing: Sometimes huffing also refers to breathing in vapors that come from a fabric soaked in something like gasoline or lighter fluid, usually while holding it against the face or stuffing it inside one’s mouth.

One method that has had a recent uptick in popularity is the “deodorant and towel method,” in which teens spray aerosol deodorant into a towel and inhale by pressing the towel to their mouth or nose.

Examples of inhalants include:

• Whipped cream cans
• Helium-filled balloons
• Glue
• Lighter fluid
• Nail polish remover
• Spray deodorant
• Hair sprays
• Air freshener bottles
• Spray paint
• Paint thinners
• Spot removers

Remember: The ‘Chroming Challenge’ is New, But Huffing Isn’t

It’s easy for parents to assume that an unfamiliar phrase connected to drug use means that teens today have unlocked something uniquely sinister, with the help of social media. 

The “Chroming Challenge” refers to teens using inhalants recreationally (usually spray paint or aerosol deodorant) and documenting it, usually on TikTok. And there are obvious concerns about misrepresenting inhalant use as harmless, fun, or a bonding experience, especially on such a wide scale.

However, chroming itself began as another form of huffing, which means chroming is not actually new at all. The use of inhalants to get high is dangerous, but that doesn’t mean it’s never been done before.

For example, the recreational use of nitrous oxide (more commonly known as laughing gas) was documented as early as 1799. 

When glue, paint, and gasoline became household staples in the 1940s and 1950s, we saw teens getting high off of them within a decade. There was a notable moral panic by the 60s amongst parents, and greater restrictions being placed on these products not long after that.

Parents should keep in mind when discussing chroming with teens that experimentation is not unusual, but that huffing and chroming carry serious and unique risks that are often underestimated due to the widespread availability of these products.

Dangers of Huffing and Warning Signs

While social media and declining mental health may make the average teen today more inclined to experiment, that doesn’t mean that parents need to be on edge — it means they need to be present and build a trusting relationship with their teen, which has always been true!

That said, it’s important that parents are aware of the risks of inhalant use, especially given the fact that it only takes one encounter for a teen to have serious effects.

Effects of Huffing or Chroming

While the desired effect of huffing or chroming is intoxication (or feeling “high” or euphoric), inhalant use can have other serious side effects. 

Because inhalants are toxic and are ingested in many different ways, they can impact nearly every system of the body. It is impossible to capture every possible effect, but below are the most common and well-documented.

Short term side effects may include:

• Trouble breathing
• Drowsiness
• Headache
• Lethargy or fatigue
• Muscle weakness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Loss of control over muscles or movements
• Seizures
• Brain fog or stupor
• Sudden death (usually via asphyxia or cardiac arrest)

Long term side effects of inhalant use include:

• Addiction or dependency
• Bone marrow damage
• Brain damage
• Heart damage or failure
• Kidney or liver damage
• Psychosis or other mental health disorders
• Neurological conditions
• Respiratory damage

Can Huffing Kill You? When Is It a Medical Emergency?

The greatest risk to someone’s life with inhalant misuse is called Sudden Sniffing Death (SSD). 

Knowing the signs is extremely important, because resuscitation is often unsuccessful, especially when attempts at revival begin too late.

The signs of Sudden Sniffing Death (SSD) include:

• Irregular heartbeat or heart palpitations: Someone may complain about their heart beating quickly, intensely, off-rhythm, or otherwise feeling strange, and it may feel like fluttering, thumping, or like a panic or heart attack.
• Sudden collapse or non-responsiveness: They may faint or stop moving, or otherwise not react when others attempt to interact or arouse them.
• Extremely slow or cessation of breathing: Any sudden change in breathing, especially stopping breathing, is an emergency.

A person may also begin having a seizure, which can include stiffening of the body, falling or collapsing, jerking movements in the arms and legs, an intense and empty stare, loss of consciousness, and more.

If any of the above symptoms happen, teens should know this is a medical emergency and 911 should be called immediately. 

Yes, even someone’s heartbeat feeling “weird” or passing out for just a few minutes is still an emergency. Yes, even if it was “just glue” or “only deodorant,” and “we only tried it once.” 

The risk for cardiac arrest can still be present, even if someone’s heartbeat has temporarily returned to normal, and even if they regained consciousness after passing out.

If signs of SSD are present, teens (or intervening adults) should:

1. Remove/push away the bag, can, or rag if in use, and CALL 911 immediately. Do not delay. Tell the operator that inhalants have been used, and you believe the individual may be at risk of a cardiac event or sudden death. Be ready to recite your address or location.
2. After calling 911, or while someone else is calling, check for breath and pulse if someone has collapsed. Begin CPR immediately if there are no signs of breathing or a heartbeat. If an AED is available (Automated External Defibrillator), place it on the individual — the machine will provide further instructions.
3. Stay with the person until emergency services arrive. Do not assume that medical personnel can easily find the individual, or that the person doesn’t need continued monitoring once an ambulance is en route.

Parents should also remind teens that they will never be “punished” for any action taken to save someone’s life (or save their own!).

Harm Reduction: Are Some Types of Huffing More Dangerous?

Absolutely, yes. While any recreational inhalant use can be dangerous and even deadly, there are some factors that are more likely to lead to adverse outcomes, like cardiac arrest and suffocation.

Factors that tend to be more dangerous include:

• Using a bag or towel: This is incredibly risky as it can remove the presence of any breathable oxygen, leading to suffocation. 
• Placing a bag over the head: This means that if an individual passes out or is incapacitated, they are still being deprived of oxygen because the bag does not fall away.
• Prolonged use in a short period of time: Repeated sniffing or inhaling, especially within a contained period of time, is extremely risky because of the stress it places upon different systems in the body, especially the heart, lungs, and brain.
• Using alone: This makes life-saving interventions nearly impossible if something goes wrong.
• Mixing with other drugs or alcohol: This increases the likelihood of adverse effects.
• Inhaling while standing or moving: This makes it more likely that someone will pass out and potentially injure themselves from falling.

Types of inhalants that are higher risk include:

• Using lighter fluids (butane and propane): These make the heart more sensitive to adrenaline, which is often what triggers arrhythmias leading to cardiac arrest.
• Using freons or refrigerants (commonly found in air conditioners): Similar to the above, these products can cause heart arrhythmias, as well as abrupt changes in blood pressure.
• Using nitrous oxide (“galaxy gas” or “whippets”): The combination of oxygen deprivation and impact on the heart can also result in sudden death.
• Using toluene (found in paint thinners and glue), especially long term: Permanent brain damage can occur with repeated use.

Some parents worry that distinguishing between risk factors will only encourage teens to adopt the “less risky” versions of these behaviors. 

However, it’s important to remember that reducing risk can still be a life-saving measure. 

The majority of teens who try inhalants will only do so once or twice, and educated teens are more empowered to speak up in situations of peer pressure and be confident in their decision-making.

Is My Teen Engaging in Chroming or Huffing?

The best way to confirm if a teen is using inhalants recreationally is, of course, to have an open discussion where they feel safe enough to share that information with you.

However, for teens who are struggling or ashamed, or fear being punished or disappointing you, they may become secretive about their behavior.

Some signs of recreational inhalant use include:

• Paint or oil stains on clothing or body
• Fingernails stained with ink or gasoline
• Chemical odor coming from their breath or clothes
• Spots or sores in or around the mouth
• Frequent or recurring runny nose
• Red, irritated, and/or inflamed eyes
• Shaking or wobbling eyes (or other strange, rapid movements)
• Complaints about double vision or changes in vision
• Dazed or confused appearance
• Dizziness, clumsiness, or less steady on feet
• Lack of coordination
• Slurred words or speech
• Forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating
• Anorexia, nausea, and/or noticeable loss of appetite
• Irritability or anxiety
• Excitability or agitation
• Insomnia or sleep disturbances

Because different inhalants have varying effects, and can impact so many different systems of the body, it’s not easy to “clock” that a teen is using inhalants specifically, and if they are, which ones. 

In addition to these warning signs, you may also want to pay close attention to household items being moved from their usual location, finding empty containers or cans, or teens frequently requesting or purchasing items that could be misused, like permanent markers, glue, or nail polish remover.

If a household item can be misused as an inhalant, parents may also want to consider simply disposing of those items rather than keeping them on-hand, especially for teens with a history of mental health struggles, drug experimentation, and/or impulsivity.

How to Talk to Your Teen About Chroming or Huffing

At Evolve, we often say that the best protective measure for teens is a trusting relationship with a safe adult. 

Any effort you make as a parent to be an attentive, compassionate, and nonjudgmental presence in a teen’s life will make a difference, including reducing the risk of teens engaging in substance use.

When talking to your teen about inhalant use (like chroming or huffing), consider these approaches:

Engage with curiosity

Ask questions without setting traps. Rather than trying to push your teen to reveal something about their personal life, ask what they know about inhalant use and what they’ve seen on social media, while encouraging their questions and natural curiosity.

Learn together

You don’t need to position yourself as the authority or expert on chroming or huffing to have a productive conversation. Instead, have an open ended discussion, where you learn together. 

Fact check in real time what risks are legitimate, versus what are sensationalized headlines or media scare tactics. Be open to your teen’s opinions and point of view, without jumping to immediate correction or criticism.

Validate emotions

It’s normal for teens to be curious. It’s normal for teens to feel interested in experimenting or taking risks. It’s normal for teens to feel pressured by their peers, or to want to have fun and try new things. 

A parent who can offer compassion and validation for a teen’s internal experience is much more likely to be trusted.

Avoid absolutes or scare tactics

Telling a teen “don’t do this, you’ll die!” is often not effective. 

We don’t want teens to respond to urgency (because peer pressure is just another form of urgency!). We instead want them to respond with discernment and thoughtfulness, and that begins with modeling a measured and compassionate response when talking about things like inhalant use.

Teens often rely on short-term context to assess risk (so, how they feel in the moment, what they see with their eyes, who they trust, how someone’s words match up with what they believe — i.e., Karrie says it’s fine, she just did it and she had fun, so I will be fine!), whereas adults tend to be able to forecast further into the future (i.e., just because Karrie was okay this time, that doesn’t mean this isn’t risky).

When discussing inhalants with your teen, be sure to remind them that a situation that seems non-threatening at first doesn’t guarantee that what’s happening is actually safe, or will be safe the next time. 

Fact checking with trustworthy sources is crucial, and if they have a gut feeling that something is off or they aren’t sure that they have all the information, affirm their right to decline for now, walk away, or slow down until they feel better informed about the decision.

Implement a “panic policy”

Don’t assume that after one conversation, your teenager is protected. Instead, have a panic policy, where if a teen is in an unsafe situation (or is a bystander), they know they can always call emergency services and call you without punishment.

There will, of course, be a check-in later, but teens should never let a fear of consequences discourage them from taking life-saving action for themselves or someone else.

Need More Support?

If your child is struggling, you don’t have to do this alone. As a team of adolescent behavioral health experts, we don’t just write blog posts — we support teens and their families in building brighter, healthier futures through our day programs and outpatient services. Call our admissions team to learn more about how we can help.