Dangerous 'chroming' trend spreads among Estonian teens; girl says she remembers nothing from school after months of inhaling deodorant
A dangerous trend of inhaling deodorants and air fresheners is growing among young people in Estonia. A 15-year-old girl says that after half a year of regular use she has no memory of her schoolwork.
A worrying trend known as 'chroming' – inhaling household aerosols such as deodorants and air fresheners to get high – is spreading among Estonian teenagers. The practice can cause serious memory problems and, in the worst cases, death. Teenagers are now speaking openly about it for the first time, saying adults are often unaware of what is happening.
A girl referred to as Lauren, now 15, says she started inhaling deodorant in the sixth grade, when a friend introduced the practice to her and her friends. Instead of spraying the product under their arms, they sprayed it directly into their mouths. Lauren did this regularly for six months. 'I remember absolutely nothing from my studies during that time,' she says.
Her mother Maarja, a 39-year-old public administration worker, says she previously believed she was well informed about the latest trends. She first learned about inhaling deodorants from a local Facebook group, where a photo showed ten empty deodorant bottles lined up next to a park bench. Someone had reportedly seen a group of young people near them. At that point, Maarja had no idea that her daughter was among them.
One day, while Maarja was at work, she had a bad feeling and asked her mother to check on Lauren, who was home alone. The grandmother could already smell strong air freshener in the stairwell. Inside the apartment, she found Lauren in a very euphoric mood, sitting with two giggling friends, with empty aerosol bottles on the floor. One of Lauren's friends was lying down and appeared unresponsive.
When Maarja returned home, she was struck by the unusual smell. 'The whole hallway stinks!' she scolded Lauren, whose friends had already left. Although the girls had managed to hide the evidence, the smell was enough to confirm the suspicions Maarja had had for some time. She admits she would never have believed Lauren capable of such behaviour – at the time, she seemed completely innocent.
