Boy, 11, dies after trying TikTok ‘chroming’ challenge
An 11-year-old boy has died after having apparently taken part in a TikTok challenge nicknamed “chroming”.
Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington was found unresponsive by paramedics at a friend’s house in Lancaster on Saturday, having suffered a suspected cardiac arrest.
He is thought to have taken part in a craze that involves inhaling toxic chemicals, often from household products, to get high. Doing so can affect the central nervous system, leading to slowed-down brain activity, slurred speech, dizziness, hallucinations and potentially heart attacks or suffocation.
Lancashire police were called to the scene by North West Ambulance Service shortly after 12pm and transferred the boy to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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Tommie-Lee’s grandmother, Tina Burns, urged TikTok to “do more” to protect children. She said: “He died instantly after a sleepover at a friend’s house. The boys had tried the TikTok craze ‘chroming’.
“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. She added: “He had a heart of gold just like his dad. Our family is utterly devastated.”
Police said that the boy’s death was “unexplained”.
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Burns added: “Both our families are utterly devastated but we all want the same thing. We don’t want any other children to follow TikTok or be on social media.
“In fact, we want to get TikTok taken down and no children to be allowed on any social media under 16 years of age. This is breaking us all but we want to help save other children’s lives and give families awareness to keep their children safe.”
