NEW DELHI: An 11-year-old boy named Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington tragically passed away after participating in the ‘chroming‘ social media challenge, inhaling toxic chemicals. The incident took place in Lancaster, United Kingdom, as reported by The Times.
While at a friend’s house, Tommie-Lee attempted the ‘chroming’ challenge, which entails inhaling fumes from household products like paint thinners and cleaning supplies to achieve a high.This practice can lead to severe health issues, including cardiac arrest, which is suspected to have occurred to Tommie-Lee, as reported by the news outlet.
The family is calling on social media platforms to implement stricter measures for safeguarding children. Tina Burns, Tommie-Lee’s grandmother, believes that these companies should be held responsible and potentially 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 surge in chroming videos on social media has sparked a troubling trend, contributing to multiple teenage fatalities worldwide. Tommie-Lee’s family advocates for stronger measures from social media platforms to prioritize user safety. They suggest that, in severe cases, platforms should contemplate shutting down to prevent additional tragic incidents involving children.
“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.”
While at a friend’s house, Tommie-Lee attempted the ‘chroming’ challenge, which entails inhaling fumes from household products like paint thinners and cleaning supplies to achieve a high.This practice can lead to severe health issues, including cardiac arrest, which is suspected to have occurred to Tommie-Lee, as reported by the news outlet.
The family is calling on social media platforms to implement stricter measures for safeguarding children. Tina Burns, Tommie-Lee’s grandmother, believes that these companies should be held responsible and potentially 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 surge in chroming videos on social media has sparked a troubling trend, contributing to multiple teenage fatalities worldwide. Tommie-Lee’s family advocates for stronger measures from social media platforms to prioritize user safety. They suggest that, in severe cases, platforms should contemplate shutting down to prevent additional tragic incidents involving children.
“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.”