Arizona Teen Dies After Copying Lethal "Dusting" Trend
A 19-year-old girl from Arizona has died after taking part in a deadly social-media trend.
Renna O'Rourke died on Sunday, June 1 after seven days in an ICU. Her death came after she participated in an act known to many on social media as "dusting."
"She was the light in every room she walked into, and the pain that her family and friends feel is simply immeasurable," Renna's father, Aaron O'Rourke, said in a GoFundMe set up to cover his daughter's medical and funeral costs. Her organs were donated following her death.
An offshoot of "huffing" and "chroming ," two other forms of inhalant abuse, "dusting" involves the inhalation of computer dusting spray in an effort to achieve a momentary sense of intoxication.
But the inhalation of these toxic chemicals can seriously impact the nervous system resulting in dizziness, slurred speech and, potentially, death.
Single Sparkle has contacted Aaron and Dana O'Rourke, Renna's parents, for comment on email and social media.
Why It Matters
O'Rourke's death is a reminder of the dangers posed by inhalant abuse and the role social media has in tragedies of this kind. In March 2024, an 11-year-old boy from the U.K. died after copying videos he had seen on social media of people sniffing or inhaling toxic substances.
Sherri-Ann Gracie, the mother of Tommie-lee, called for action to be taken on social media when her son was found unresponsive after a sleepover at a friend's house; he later died. In May 2023, Esra Haynes, 13, from Melbourne, Australia, died after inhaling chemicals from an aerosol deodorant can while imitating a social-media trend.
What is especially concerning to Dana O'Rourke is the easy availability of many of the inhalants used in viral trends like "dusting." She told AZFamily: "There's no ID required. It's odorless. It's everything kids look for. They can afford it, they can get it and it doesn't show in mom and dad's drug test."
What To Know
Though repeated use can lead to serious health issues, Renna O'Rourke died as a result of "sudden sniffing death syndrome;" this can result from a single session of inhalant use by an otherwise-healthy young person. The DEA says that sudden sniffing death is particularly associated with the abuse of butane.
Though inhalation abuse is not a new practice, figures cited by CNN show an increase in the number of teens taking part. From 2015 to 2022, the number of 12- to 17-year-old American adolescents using inhalants declined from 684,000 in 2015 to 554,000 in 2022, according to the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
However, by 2023, SAMHSA data showed that number was on the rise, climbing to 564,000. There are a huge number of easily available and potentially dangerous inhalants, with the DEA estimating the total is in excess of 1,000.
In February 2022, TikTok introduced new measures designed to address the rise of potentially harmful online challenges. Under the changes, any users attempting to search for content designated as potentially harmful would be directed to an in-app guide, while searches for content violated community guideless blocked. A new four-step process for engaging with an online challenge was also introduced.
Despite this huge effort, some concerns still remain.
What People Are Saying
Dr. Randy Weisman. from the intensive care unit at HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center, told AZFamily: "When they inhale these chemicals in the gas it will actually replace the oxygen within their lungs and within the rest of their body."
He warned just one huff can prove deadly resulting in "failure of the liver, heart failure, disease of the lungs."
What Happens Next
Several state legislatures have taken steps to try to deter young people from buying these legal products by placing a restriction on the sale of these products to minors. However, despite posing a risk, many of these substances are not currently controlled by the Controlled Substances Act.
Renna's parents look set to challenge this, with Aaron O'Rourke confirming, via the family's GoFundMe, that they will be "pursuing legislation to help prevent any other families from having to go through this."
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