A 12-year-old boy died after inhaling Lynx deodorant as part of a social media trend known as 'chroming', an inquest has heard. Oliver Gorman was found unresponsive in his bedroom on May 5, 2024, at his home in Hyde, Tameside, Greater Manchester, shortly after returning from a family holiday. He was later pronounced dead in hospital.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Oliver died from inhaling butane gas, a propellant found in many aerosol deodorants. Empty deodorant bottles were discovered in his room. The coroner expressed 'major concern' about the spread of such challenges on TikTok, accusing the platform of 'disseminating these challenges quite happily' and making them 'easily accessible' to impressionable youngsters.
Oliver's mother, Clare Gillespie, described him as a 'sweet' and 'lovely, family boy'. She told the inquest that she believed the transition from primary to secondary school had been 'too much' for him. There were concerns he was being bullied, though no specific details were provided. Detective Inspector Ian Parker said the alleged bullying involved 'very harsh words based on physicality, how he looked'.
The inquest heard that butane gas can cause fatal cardiac issues. Detective Sergeant Kate Dawson, from Greater Manchester Police, said that in her 23 years of service, this was the first time she had encountered a child dying from deodorant abuse. It remains unclear whether Oliver was aware of the trend through TikTok or if this was his first attempt.
