BUFFALO, N.Y. — The dangerous practice of getting high by inhaling hydrocarbons from everyday household items like hair spray, markers and nail polish has a new slang term based on a social media trend; chroming.
“It’s a new name for inhalation abuse,” Michele Caliva said.
“It’s just essentially huffing, it’s the same huffing we’ve seen for decades,” Ashley Gedra said.
According to the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, this inhaling of dangerous chemicals is on the rise.
Data showed the number of children ages 12 to 17 using “inhalants” had decreased from 684,000 in 2015 to 554,000 to 2022, but those numbers appear to be rising once again. The study found a 10,000-person increase in usage from 2022 to 2023.
“A new name put on it was kind of a means for disguise, I think. If you were to talk to a parent about huffing, most of us know what that is, but if you said do you know what chroming is, most of us would be completely clueless,” Gedra said.
“[Short term symptoms include] oxygen deprivation to the brain. Long-term use can damage pretty much every organ system in your body,” Gedra continued.
The Upstate New York Poison Center’s helpline, 1-800-222-1222, is open 24/7 for anybody in need of assistance.
