Plea After Girl, 13, Died Copying Social Media Trend

The mother of a woman who died while copying a "horrible" societal media inclination is calling for children to beryllium taught astir nan dangers of solvent abuse.

Sonia Hopkin was near "heartbroken" aft nan decease of her 13-year-old daughter, Tiegan Jarman, who was recovered unresponsive successful her chamber successful Thurmaston, Leicestershire, connected 6 March.

She died while taking portion successful an online inclination called chroming, copying videos she had seen connected TikTok, Mrs Hopkin said.

A petition has now been launched calling for mandatory lessons astir solvent maltreatment to beryllium introduced successful schools.

Mrs Hopkin, who lives successful Leicester, said Tiegan had been pronounced dormant astatine nan segment aft she was recovered unconscious successful her father's home.

The 45-year-old believes her "outgoing and funny" girl was taking portion successful a inclination wherever group sniff aliases inhale toxic fumes, which she had seen connected TikTok.

Mrs Hopkin, a healthcare adjunct astatine Leicester Royal Infirmary, said she had surgery down successful tears erstwhile she recovered retired what had happened to her daughter.

"When you perceive different stories successful nan papers, you ever deliberation it's personification else's family, ne'er your own," she said.

"It's conscionable nan worst nightmare. I was heartbroken and I've been for illustration that ever since."

Mrs Hopkin now wants to raise consciousness of nan "dangers of this horrible trend".

In summation to calling for lessons astir solvent abuse, nan petition besides asks for regulations requiring manufacturers to adhd warnings connected their packaging to beryllium enforced.

Mrs Hopkin said: "We're hoping it tin beryllium taught successful schools, not conscionable nan dangers of family chemicals, but nan dangers of nan net arsenic well.

"We conscionable want group to beryllium alert truthful no-one other has to spell done this horrible tragedy."

Mrs Hopkin besides called connected TikTok to do much to extremity actions, specified arsenic chroming, from becoming trends.

"It's astonishing that these videos aren't taken down," she said. "I can't understand why anyone would want to stock that benignant of rubbish.

"One video would beryllium bad, but nan truth it has go a inclination is unbelievable. It shouldn't beryllium disposable connected nan internet."

The British Aerosol Manufacturers' Association said products must already person respective informing statements connected packaging, but added a caller connection utilizing "better language" to explicate risks would beryllium introduced successful 2026.

A spokesperson for TikTok said: "We are profoundly saddened by this tragic incident and our thoughts are pinch nan family.

"Content promoting vulnerable challenges is not allowed connected TikTok, and we proactively removed 99.8% of videos that violated our policies connected this rumor earlier they were reported to us.

"Searches for this peculiar situation are blocked and we person recovered nary grounds of it ever having been a inclination connected our platform."