Boy, 13, died inhaling aerosols in social media trend
A 13-year-old boy died after inhaling aerosols in a growing trend that has become popular with teenagers on social media.
Nicky Lowther was found unconscious by his mother at his home in Canterbury, Kent on June 27 last year. He later died in hospital.
The teenager had been inhaling aerosols in a practice known as 'chroming'. His family said that they had previously never heard of the trend, also known as 'huffing', and have described it as 'shocking' and 'dangerous'.
Nicky's aunt Toni Lowther, 35, urged parents to have open conversations with their children about the dangers of chroming.
The mother of two said: 'By the time we got to the hospital, Nicky had already passed away.
'We found out he'd been inhaling aerosols but I didn't know the severity of it.
'We don't know how many he inhaled that day, but I think 12 cans were found in his bedroom. No one knows if he'd used them that day.
'There's no safe way of inhaling aerosols. It's dangerous.'
Ms Lowther, who lives in Herne Bay, Kent, described her nephew as a 'cheeky chappy' who was 'kind and caring'.
'People looked up to him and if anything was getting picked on, he was the one they would go to. At school, he was the one that looked out for everyone,' she said.
She added: 'I'd never heard of [chroming] before. I heard afterwards about people doing it and dying or making it through the other side.
'I was shocked. I've been told there's even videos on social media about 'how to do it'. Kids need to understand how dangerous it is.
'I would never think I would need to have a conversation with my daughter about how to use deodorant safely, other than putting it under your armpits.'
Death was 'so preventable'
Ms Lowther has launched an online petition to stop the sale of aerosols to young people, which has received more than 5,000 signatures.
She said: '[Nicky's death] was so preventable, which is the hardest part. It's the things he's never going to do like leaving school, prom, passing his driving test, getting married and having kids.
'It just still doesn't seem like reality. It still feels so raw.
'Anyone can buy aerosols currently, which is insane. It's happening all the time. I felt like I needed to do something.
'Nicky couldn't be saved but hopefully his story can save other children from doing it.'
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