Oliver Gorman’s mum Clare Gillespie told an inquest that her son had participated in the challenge – where children inhale aerosols to get high – after feeling ‘low’
A British schoolboy accidentally died after taking part in a dangerous TikTok challenge known as “chroming”, an inquest has heard.
Oliver Gorman, 12, was killed after inhaling the potentially deadly gas from Lynx and Aldi deodorants. His mum Clare Gillespie issued a warning about the TikTok trend – where children inhale aerosols to get high – known as “chroming” or “huffing” at an inquest into Oliver’s death.
Manchester South Coroner’s Court was told that Oliver had suffered from verbal bullying about his looks but was also a lively boy with a good social network. Mum Clare, formerly of Hyde, Greater Manchester but now living in Shrewsbury, said she wanted to warn other parents about various emojis which were also highlighted in the hit Netflix drama Adolescence.
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Breaking down in tears, she said: “I don’t know whether Oliver did that to escape. As a mother that hurts me. Every Christmas we have a standing joke that we never have so many chocolates, deodorants and gift sets.
“There were symbols on Oliver’s TikTok account. I had never seen them before so I looked at Google. In the Netflix series Adolescence they used these symbols. Oliver felt low and he turned to social media. I don’t believe he did it to take his life. I think it was something that went terribly wrong.
“If there is one thing, I want to make sure parents know the risk of what these things can do. He was a sweet boy, a lovely family boy.” Clare said they had started a petition called Oliver’s Awareness and wanted to take their campaign to highlight the dangers of social media, solvent abuse and bullying.
She said: “If we can raise awareness in one place, in ten places in a million places. Every teenage boy gets a Lynx. I can’t use anything like that anymore. I used to be a hairdresser for 26 years but I can’t even use a hair spray.”
The hearing was told that Oliver had just returned from a family holiday to Wales and then went to his room on May 5 this year at around 4.30pm. He was found by his mum under his duvet shortly after not breathing. Paramedics attended and Oliver, who has two older brothers, was taken to Tameside General Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7.31pm.
The court was told that five aerosol canisters were found in his bedroom – three Lynx and two from Aldi. Assistant coroner Andrew Bridgman recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. Mr Bridgman said he didn’t believe that Oliver intended to take his own life and said it was impossible to know whether Oliver had inhaled butane on other occasions.
Mr Bridgman said that he believed the warnings on aerosols were inadequate and needed to be addressed. He said: “There is no evidence that Oliver deliberately inhaled the aerosol with the intention of ending his own life. It strikes me this chroming comes from TikTok challenges.
“It is clear when you look at the TikTok challenges it is really quite frightening what is put out by social media which affects the young minds of people like Oliver. There needs to be more awareness.” Mr Bridgman said he was concerned that the labelling about the risks of inhaling aerosols was inadequate and that under 16s could buy the cans and he would be writing to the business secretary about it.
He added: “A major concern is that TikTok disseminates these challenges without any regard to the wellbeing of those who subscribe to it. It concerns me that these life-threatening challenges go out on TikTok and are so easily accessible. Maybe it is the culture secretary I need to write to about that. Hopefully between us we can prevent the future loss of young lives.”
After the hearing Clare, 42, said: “Social media is a disgrace. I got on Facebook to speak to relatives. Now there are people daring other children to take their own lives or do something that could end up horrendous. People are going to lose their children’s lives because of these trends. This one kills.
“As a parent I just feel numb and upset. Don’t buy your children these solvents and don’t have them in your home. I never thought this could happen to my child. We buy our children mobile phones for safety but that safety is a big gamble because you don’t know what they are doing on them.”