Nicholas Douglas died in Mackay, Queensland at age 17 from "chroming" deodorant. His mother Dianne had no idea of his chronic inhalant misuse until after his funeral, when she found multiple empty aerosol cans - including deodorant, fly spray, and insect bombs, in his room while cleaning up after his passing.

How does a parent deal with the sudden loss of a child in circumstances like these? For Dianne, it’s about finding answers - and making sure other parents know what she didn’t.

But what answers are there to be found? Why inhalants kill some and not others when deliberately inhaled via “chroming” is still not well understood by professionals in the field. We speak to an addiction physician to learn what we can about the impact of inhalant misuse on the body and the signs of inhalant misuse to look out for.

Fumes is an original investigative series from Swivol Media exploring the issue of volatile substance misuse. Hosted Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace. Produced by Phoebe Zukowski-Wallace and Lauren Fitzgerald, Sound Design and Mix by Rob Clarke, additional production and design from Amanda Reedy, Kendra Christiansz, and Allison Craighead. Executive Producer Scotty Allen.

Please visit www.swivolmedia.com for more information. You can also join the “Fumes - The Truth About Inhalants” Group on Facebook (coming soon)

If you’re concerned that someone you know may be misusing inhalants, you can call the National and Other Drugs Hotline in Australia on 1800 250 015 for free and confidential advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.