An 11-year-old boy, Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington, lost his life after inhaling toxic chemicals in a social media challenge called "chroming." The incident occurred in Lancaster, United Kingdom, according to The Times.
Tommie-Lee was at a friend's house when they attempted the challenge. Chroming involves inhaling fumes from household products like paint thinners and cleaning supplies to get high. This practice is extremely dangerous and can cause serious health problems, including cardiac arrest, which is believed to have happened to Tommie-Lee, according to the news outlet.
The grieving family is urging social media platforms to take stricter measures to protect children. Tommie-Lee's grandmother, Tina Burns, expressed her belief that social media companies should be held accountable and even shut down to prevent similar tragedies.
"He died instantly after a sleepover at a friend's house. The boys had tried the TikTok craze of 'chroming,'" said the boy's grandmother, Tina Burns.
"Tommie-Lee went into cardiac arrest immediately and died right there and then. The hospital did everything to try and bring him back, but nothing worked. He was gone."
"He had a heart of gold, just like his dad. Our family is utterly devastated," she added.
The rise in popularity of chroming videos on social media has resulted in a concerning trend, leading to numerous teenage fatalities globally. Tommie-Lee's family believes that the social media platform should take stronger measures to ensure user safety and, in extreme cases, even consider shutting down to prevent further tragic incidents involving kids.
"Both our families are utterly devastated, but we all want the same thing," Burns said, referring to the family of Tommie-Lee's friend. "We don't want any other children to follow TikTok or be on social media."
