You may not have heard about chroming, but your children probably have. This dangerous behavior isn’t new, but it has recently received renewed attention through social media. When you understand what chroming looks like and why it can be so harmful, you’ll be better prepared to keep your loved ones safe.

What is Chroming?

Chroming is a form of inhalant abuse. Other common terms for this practice include huffing and bagging. 

The term “chroming” originally referred to inhaling fumes from aerosol paints that had been sprayed into a paper bag. People who engage in this behavior usually use metallic spray paint. When they hold the bag to their mouth and nose in order to inhale the fumes, they often end up with a paint ring where the bag came into contact with their face. That effect let to the practice being called chroming.

Through the years, chroming has evolved in to a more general term. Today, it can be used to describe the intentional inhalation of several dangerous substances. In addition to spray paints, chroming can also involve:

• Household solvents
• Gasoline 
• Kerosene
• Paint thinner
• Certain types of glue
• Nail polish remover
• Hairspray

Chroming is most popular among adolescents and teens. This may be due to the fact that the practice incorporates many common household items, which may be easier for young people to acquire than other recreational substances.

About The Chroming Challenge on Social Media

Videos on Tik-Tok and other social media platforms can make chroming look like fun, without acknowledging its many dangers. For some young people, this misinformation can be fatal:

• In March 2024, an 11-year-old boy from the UK died of what authorities believe was cardiac arrest after engaging in chroming. Members of his family reported that the boy had learned about chroming from videos on Tik-Tok.
• This was unfortunately not the first death that has been tied to chroming and social media. In March 2023, a 13-year-old incurred irreparable brain damage and later died after engaging in this behavior at a sleepover party. 

As evidenced by previous trends such as the Benadryl challenge or the choking game, teens can quickly become swept up in hazardous fads like chroming. Some may be fueled by the desire to gain social media attention, while others may simply want to feel like they are fitting in with their online peers.

Regardless of what prompts a young person to try chroming, the results – as we will discuss in the next section – can range from upsetting to devastating.

Dangers of Chroming

Chroming is extremely dangerous. People who engage in this behavior put themselves at risk for many harmful effects, some of which can be severe and irreversible. 

The long list of possible chroming-related damage includes:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Confusion and disorientation
• Problems with coordination and muscle control
• Muscle weakness
• Respiratory distress
• Cardiovascular damage
• Liver and kidney damage
• Delayed responsiveness
• Cognitive impairments
• Brain damage
• Hallucinations and delusions
• Psychosis
• Seizure
• Death

How to Talk to Your Kids About Chroming

With such a significant amount of incorrect and intentionally misleading information available to young people online, parents need to be sure their children understand the very real risks that chroming poses.

5 Tips on Having a Productive Conversation with Your Children about Chroming:

• Be honest: If your children spend much time online, there’s a decent chance that they’ve already heard of chroming. They may even know peers who have engaged in this behavior. So you need to be honest about why some people get involved with chroming and realistic about the dangers they face.
• Take an age-appropriate approach: For younger children, it may be enough to say that chroming is dangerous, they should never do it, and they should find a responsible adult if someone tries to convince them to try it.
• Discuss, don’t lecture: Lectures or threats can cause your children to tune you out or immediately become defensive. Instead, make your conversation about chroming a true discussion. Ask them what they’ve heard about this practice, correct any misinformation, and help them brainstorm ways to say “no” if someone asks them to try chroming.
• Focus on education, not intimidation: We’ve touched on this in other tips, but it bears repeating. Threats, ultimatums, or efforts to intimidate your children into staying away from chroming can easily backfire. Instead, help them understand the dangers of this behavior and provide practical guidance on how to avoid it.
• Plan to revisit the topic: One conversation about chroming can be a great start. But it’s just that: a start. Be prepared to have many discussions about chroming, other types of substance abuse, and other potential threats to your children’s well-being.

Contact Our Substance Abuse Treatment Center Today

Chroming can lead to a type of addiction known as inhalant use disorder. If you or someone that you care about has become trapped in the downward spiral of compulsive inhalant abuse, please know that help is available at Sanctuary Treatment Center.

When you choose our addiction rehab in Los Angeles, you will find a safe and welcoming place where you or your loved one can receive personalized services from a team of skilled and experienced professionals. 

Our continuum of care includes detoxification, inpatient treatment, and outpatient programming. We work closely with each patient and, when appropriate, their families to understand the full scope of their needs, so that we can provide them with the most effective types of treatment.

To learn more about our programs and services, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Contact page or call us today.

The question is short, direct, and deceptively simple. The answer can change your entire life. Am I a drug addict?

If you’re not sure how to accurately answer this question – or if you don’t know what to do next if your answer is “yes” – then this page is for you.  

What Does Drug Addiction Look Like?

Close your eyes for a moment and form a mental picture of what you think a drug addict looks like.

No matter what image popped into your mind, you are both right and wrong. 

The truth is that, when based solely on a person’s appearance, drug addiction can look like, well, anybody. The disheveled old man drinking from a well-worn flask. The college student “pregaming” before a big night out. The suburban mom who has been using prescription painkillers a bit longer than she should have. The successful executive who often needs a drink or two to unwind at the end of the day.

Any of these people – along with countless others who look and act differently than these four examples do – might be addicted to alcohol or another drug. Some of them may realize they have a problem. Others might find it preposterous to even suggest they have a substance use disorder (which is the clinical term for addiction). 

Outward appearances might hint at a person’s struggles with addiction. But to truly understand if someone is a drug addict, you need to know how substances have affected their body, their mind, and their behaviors. 

How Can I Tell if I Am a Drug Addict?

It can be surprisingly difficult to answer the question, “Am I a drug addict?” Addiction is a complex behavioral health condition that can be characterized by a variety of symptoms. Also, as noted in the previous section, this disorder can look very different from one person to the next.

Instead of wondering, “Am I an addict”, it can be helpful to focus on specific circumstances or behavior patterns that may be signs of a problem. 

Here are 15 questions that can help you decide if you should seek help for drug addiction:

1. Do you need to use drugs to wake up in the morning and/or to get to sleep at night?
2. Do you find it difficult or impossible to have fun without using drugs?
3. Do you need to use drugs to cope with stress, setbacks, or other difficult experiences?
4. Have you ever lied to or otherwise deceived friends or family members about your drug use?
5. Do you often use drugs when you are alone?
6. Do you spend significant amounts of time thinking about, acquiring, and using drugs?
7. Have you ever prioritized drug use over important personal or professional responsibilities?
8. Has your drug use caused you to miss school or work?
9. Once you start using a drug, do you find it difficult or impossible to stop?
10. Have you used drugs in situations where it is clearly dangerous to do so, such as before driving a car or in combination with other substances?
11. Have you continued to use drugs even after experiencing personal, professional, or legal problems due to prior substance abuse?
12. Do you need to use drugs more frequently or in larger amounts to achieve the desired effect?
13. When you can’t acquire or use drugs, do you feel agitated or angry?
14. Has someone in your life ever expressed concern about the amount or frequency of your drug use?
15. Have you ever tried to stop using drugs, but found that you were unable to do?

The only way to be sure if you have a substance use disorder is to be assessed by a qualified professional. But if you answered “yes” to any of the questions listed above, you might have a problem, and you should consult with your family doctor or another healthcare provider. 

What Are My Options if I am an Addict?

There is no universal, one-size-fits-all approach to treating drug addiction. Depending on your specific circumstances, one or more of the following drug treatment options may be valuable:

• Detoxification: Also referred to as detox, this is a short-term program that can help you get through withdrawal. In addition to protecting your health, detox professionals may offer both medical and therapeutic support to help you manage discomfort.
• Inpatient rehab: While you are in an inpatient program, you will live at the facility where you’re receiving care. Inpatient rehab typically features several types of therapy as well as educational sessions and other services to help you gain a solid foothold in early recovery.
• Outpatient treatment: Outpatient programming for addiction usually includes therapy, education, and related services without a residential requirement. Some people transition into outpatient care after completing detox and/or inpatient rehab. If you don’t need detox or round-the-clock care, you may enter treatment directly at the outpatient level. 

At the inpatient and outpatient levels, you might take part in individual, group, and family therapy. These sessions may incorporate cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and other modalities as needed. 

When you’re seeking drug addiction treatment, what’s most important is finding a provider that can assess the full scope of your needs, then provide the types and levels of care that are right for you.

Begin Treatment for Drug Addiction in Southern California

Sanctuary Treatment Center is a premier provider of customized services for people who have become addicted to alcohol and other drugs. We also offer individualized programming for clients who have both a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental health concern. At our drug addiction treatment center in Southern California, you will receive compassionate care from a team of dedicated professionals. Contact us today to learn how we can help.