What Is Chroming? Signs, Effects, and Dangers

Many teens and young adults are engaging in chroming, a method of using commonly available products — including permanent markers, aerosol deodorants, hair spray, and paint thinners — to get high.¹ The practice took off on social media toward the end of 2024, as teens made videos under the term “WhipTok,” a play on the term “whippet,” used to refer to the practice of getting high using inhalants.¹ Like all types of drug misuse, chroming can be addictive, dangerous, and can lead to a variety of adverse health effects.

What Is Chroming?

The chroming trend is the act of inhaling aerosol chemical vapors or fumes to achieve a high.² The term “chroming” comes from the practice of huffing (inhaling) chrome-based spray paint.² Chroming is a type of inhalant abuse. Inhalants create a high by producing intoxicating fumes. The substance is often sprayed into a bag or cloth, and then the user inhales the fumes.² You can use many substances as inhalants, including household cleaners, aerosol products, paint, gasoline, and other chemical items you can commonly find in homes.²

Who Uses Inhalants to Get High?

Anyone can use inhalants to get high, but chroming seems to be especially common among middle school and high school students.¹ According to the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, children and teens aged 12 to 17 are more likely than adults to use inhalants to get high.³ There are several reasons why this group may be more susceptible to inhalant abuse than other groups. Unlike alcohol and legalized marijuana, inhalants are easy for teens to acquire. Social media also plays a role, as teens often see the “fun” aspects of using inhalants, without seeing the severe consequences that can accompany drug use.¹

Why Chroming Is Still Dangerous

While chroming use among adolescents is on the decline, it’s still a serious problem.¹ Like many teen behaviors, chroming has spread through word of mouth and social media platforms. Even though inhalant use isn’t increasing in today’s teen population, the dangerous behavior is still a common enough occurrence that it requires attention.³

The Effects of Chroming

The effects of chroming can vary from person to person and may include both short-term and long-term consequences. The short-term effects of chroming are similar to those associated with drinking alcohol, and may include slurred speech, clumsiness, disinhibition, and lightheadedness. Other short-term effects may include trouble breathing, cardiac issues, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, drowsiness, and seizures.¹

Prolonged use over time can lead to more serious effects, including:¹

• Poor performance at school or work
• Kidney or liver damage
• Electrolyte disturbances
• Neuropathy
• Brain or heart damage
• Memory problems
• Mental health disorders
• Paranoia

While it’s not common, a single chroming session can lead to death, depending on the person’s health and how much of the substance they inhaled.¹

How to Prevent Chroming & Inhalant Abuse

If you’re a parent or educator concerned about preventing teens from vaping, you’re not alone. Some children and teenagers are unaware of the dangers of huffing. Education on the dangers of huffing, abusing inhalants, and chroming can help to both raise awareness and build trust. It’s also a good idea to secure hazardous products that can be used to create a substance that can be used to create a high.

Signs of Chroming & Inhalant Abuse

It can be tough to tell if a teen or young adult you care about is using inhalants. Open communication can be the first step toward understanding whether someone you love might be struggling with drug abuse.

Some potential signs that a person might be chroming include:⁴

• Mood changes, including inattentiveness, anxiety, irritability, and depression
• Lack of coordination
• Slurred speech
• Disorientation
• Hidden spray paint or solvent containers
• Hidden chemical-soaked cloth
• Paint or grease stains on skin and/or clothing
• Chemical odors on breath
• Nausea or vomiting that can’t be attributed to another cause

Chroming Incidents That Raised Awareness

Several high-profile incidents have brought chroming onto the global stage in recent years. Two 16-year-old Australian boys died after using inhalants in 2023, and a 13-year-old Australian girl suffered the same fate in 2023. The same year, an 11-year-old boy in the United Kingdom also died following inhalant use.¹ While the chroming trend has lessened in popularity on social media, inhalant abuse is still an ongoing trend that needs to be addressed to prevent additional deaths and long-term harm.

Chroming/Inhalant Addiction Treatment

If you suspect that your loved one may be suffering from inhalant abuse, help is available. Having a straightforward, nonjudgmental conversation that focuses on care and help can be a first step toward getting a loved one on the path to addiction recovery.

At Empowered Recovery Center in Atlanta, we’re here to help those living with substance use disorder get the tools and skills necessary for lasting sobriety. When you call our addiction treatment center to learn more about our substance use disorder programs, you’ll be connected with a caring admissions professional who asks questions to get a better idea of you or your loved one’s unique needs. We offer several different programming formats to help you or your loved one get the help and support needed to achieve and maintain sobriety.

If you have questions about how to pay for rehab, how to use your insurance benefits to cover some or all of the treatment costs, or other inquiries about getting started with rehab, we’re here to help. Reach out to our team today to verify your benefits and discover more about the programs we offer.

References

1. Rogers, Kristen. (27 Sept 2024). ‘Chroming’ is killing some kids. Experts explain this trend. Retrieved September 16, 2025, from https://www.acmt.net/news/cnn-chroming-is-killing-some-kids-experts-explain-this-trend/
2. Seger, Donna. (29 Sept 2023). Viral (And Deadly) Social Media Challenge Explained: What is Chroming? Retrieved September 16, 2025, from https://www.vumc.org/poison-control/toxicology-question-week/september-29-2023-viral-and-deadly-social-media-challenge-explained-what
3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (13 June 2017). Understanding Adolescent Inhalant Use. Retrieved September 16, 2025, from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_3095/ShortReport-3095.html
4. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (Sept 2024). Inhalants. Retrieved September 16, 2025, from https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/inhalants