Latest news with #aerosol
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Schoolboy, 13, dies surrounded by aerosol cans as warning issued over 'deadly' chroming social media trend
The family of a 13-year-old boy who died surrounded by twelve aerosol cans have warned of the dangers of the deadly 'chroming' social media trend. Nicky Lowther was found unconscious by his mother at his home in Canterbury, Kent, on June 27 last year and later died in hospital. The schoolboy had been inhaling aerosols before his death in a practice known as 'hugging' which has become increasingly popular with teenagers - some of whom film themselves doing it and post it on social media. Nicky's family had never heard of the social media trend before which they described as 'shocking' and 'dangerous'. Toni Lowther, Nicky's aunt, is urging parents to have open conversations with their children about the dangers of 'chroming' after her nephew's sudden death. The 35-year-old mother-of-two, who lives in Herne Bay, Kent, 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.' The bar supervisor added: 'My daughter is only four months younger than Nicky and they went to the same playschool. I used to have him for sleepovers as a little child. 'To us, he was just a cheeky chappy. He had a dark sense of humour, he was really funny. 'We were close. We always did things as a family. We learned a lot when we went to the school after and learned just how kind and caring he was. '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..' Ms Lowther later learned about social media crazes involving inhaling aerosol cans and is urging parents to have open and honest conversations with their kids about the trend. She said: '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.' Ms Lowther has since launched an online petition to stop the sale of aerosols to young people to prevent future deaths, 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.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Aerosol cans inside Amazon box explode on Glendale home's front porch
The Brief A family was left shaken after cans of aerosol exploded on their Glendale home's front porch on May 10. The cans were inside an Amazon box when they exploded, sending pieces of the cans through the home's front door. GLENDALE, Ariz. - A Glendale woman says her family was seconds away from a disaster after a hidden danger was inside an Amazon delivery package. Cans of compressed air exploded, damaging a security door, and sending shards of metal flying through the air. What they're saying Nancy Johnson is still shaken up after a package delivery left her rattled on Saturday, May 10. "She said to me, she said, 'My gosh, Grandma, are you alright?' And I said, 'Yeah,' I said, 'But, something blew up, or a shotgun," Johnson said. The contents inside exploded on her family's front porch. "It exploded, and I saw this stuff flying, and I didn't know what had happened, and I didn't know where it was coming from, but certainly something blew up," she said. Cans of compressed air were torn to shreds, like hand grenades and with enough force to damage a steel door. "The Amazon box had just exploded, and it was these aerosols. These were to clean our keyboards, and they exploded and part of it went through our screen, our security screen," Josette Farrell said. The family was gathering for an early Mother's Day, and is thankful no one was hurt. "I've lived here for 30 years and I order from Amazon all the time, and I've never had a package blow up and even with the heat, I've just never seen anything like that," Johnson said. It was a first for Johnson, but it's not the first time compressed air cans have exploded from the heat. Back in 2018, a west Valley woman found a can she left inside her hot car exploded through the windshield. "I've had aerosol cans that have been delivered as well in the summertime and have never seen anything like that," Johnson said. The family is asking companies to disarm any hidden danger. "I just hope that they see this and that they start to take like better measures, especially in Arizona, when it gets so hot," Farrell said. What's next Amazon said in a response to FOX 10 "we're looking into this and will reach out to the customer directly to resolve the issue."
