On a June evening in 2021, Sara Nevins is awoken by a knock at the door. It’s the police. They’ve come to tell her that her 16 year old daughter, Chloe, is in the intensive care unit.
Chloe was found in bushland in the Logan area of Queensland, Australia, unresponsive after directly inhaling toxic chemicals from several deodorant cans. She was engaging in a cyclic trend known as “chroming”, one of many names for volatile substance misuse, a surprisingly common form of drug use that flies under the radar for most parents.
Chloe now suffers a permanent brain injury and is in need of 24 hour care.
With the help of Sara and experts in the field, we start to unpack how an everyday product like deodorant caused such catastrophic injuries, and discover a range of products that are being misused to achieve momentary “highs” - and a creeping social issue linked to retail theft, injury - and even death.
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.