Esra was 13 when she died from ‘chroming’. Her parents say there is only one way she could have learned about the dangerous trend
The parents of a 13-year-old girl who died say she recreated a hugely dangerous ‘chroming challenge’ that teenagers shared on social media.
Esra Haynes suffered cardiac arrest after inhaling deodorant fumes during a sleepover in Melbourne’s northeast over the Easter long weekend last year.
Despite the desperate efforts of paramedics, Esra would die days later in hospital after suffering irreparable brain damage.
This dangerous trend is known as chrome plating and has become popular among young Aussies.
Esra’s parents, Paul and Andrea, say their sporty daughter was introduced to chrome plating through a friend who allegedly saw it on social media.
They are both in favor of banning social media for teenagers, a provision that will soon be introduced in South Australia.
The devastated parents of a 13-year-old girl who died while imitating a dangerous social media trend, Paul and Andrea Hayes (pictured), have backed social media bans for teenagers
Chroming has claimed the lives of children around the world as young as 11 and led to some supermarkets locking up aerosol deodorants.
While platforms like TikTok limit access to dangerous or traumatizing videos, Mr Hayes said “all it takes is one child to see it, share it and spread it.”
He said the government must intervene and prevent children from coming into contact with dangerous trends, saying: “This has to stop now.”
“Kids these days are treading such a fine line and the algorithm attacks them and pulls them in,” he shared Herald Sun.
‘It really is a vicious circle. At thirteen you are still a child and the decisions you make are not always good decisions.’
The heartbroken father said he didn’t want any parent to go through what he and his family went through with Esra’s death.
He implored state and federal governments to do the right thing and “move to social media and help protect children.”
“We don’t want any more children to die.”
Their daughter, Esra (pictured), went into cardiac arrest after inhaling aerosol deodorant fumes – called chrome plating – and died days later from irreversible brain damage
Mr and Mrs Haynes said she was allegedly exposed to the trend by a friend who saw it on social media (pictured, Esra in hospital)
South Australia becomes the first Australian state to heed calls for a ban on social media for teenagers.
Children aged 13 and under are not allowed to use Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, while children aged 14 and 15 require permission from a parent or guardian.
The move has drawn praise from independent senator Jacqui Lambie, who compared social media addiction to smoking an ‘ice pipe’.
South Australia Prime Minister Peter Malinauskas said the government has decided to take a drastic step to protect the emotional and mental well-being of children. concerns about bullying and exploitation.