Heartbroken mother speaks out about the horrifying moment her teenage son died chroming while playing Russian Roulette with a can of Rexona during a sleepover with friends
- Bradley Mair, 16, from New South Wales, died six months ago at a sleepover
- He tried chroming with a Rexona deodorant can for first time and tragically died
- He suffered a severe allergic reaction to chemicals which led to a heart attack
- Mum Corrine blames Rexona for death and called on education about chroming
A devastated mother has spoken about her son’s tragic death after he inhaled a can of deodorant in a game of Russian Roulette.
Bradley Mair, 16, from New South Wales, died six months ago at a sleepover after trying chroming for the first time with a Rexona deodorant can.
The teenager suffered a severe allergic reaction to the intoxicating chemicals which led to a heart attack.
Bradley Mair (left), 16, from New South Wales, died six months ago at a sleepover after trying chroming for the first time with a Rexona deodorant can
Chroming is the act of inhaling intoxicating fumes from deodorants or chrome-based paint.
‘They’d seen it on social media or had been exposed to it somewhere, so I think one of the kids had a can and they inhaled it,’ his heartbroken mother Corrine told A Current Affair.
Ms Mair has called on companies to better educate their customers by placing warning signs about chroming.
‘I blame Rexona for my son’s death, I mean I know my son had a part to play in what happened that evening but I hold Rexona and Unilever accountable, for my son’s death,’ she said.
‘They’ve actually even publicly acknowledged that their product has been linked to five deaths, Bradley will now be the sixth.’
Last year, Rexona’s parent company, Unilever, acknowledged the five deaths – four in Queensland and one in New South Wales – as a result of chroming.
‘We’ve made changes to the can, including putting warning labels on the pack, specifically calling out solvent misuse,’ Unilever Australia and New Zealand’s head of deodorant Scott Mingl previously said.
‘As well as we’ve redesigned the can so that you can’t even isolate the gas that these kids are using to get high by itself.’
Corrine Mair (left pictured with son Bradley) blames Rexona for her son’s death
Ms Mair said claims Rexona told her that passing of the other children was due to their upbringing and that it was ‘being made a social issue’
Ms Mair said claims Rexona told her that the other children’s deaths was related to their upbringing and that it was ‘being made a social issue’.
Unilever has been in constant contact with Ms Mair and have expressed their deepest sympathies following Bradley’s death.
They assured her that they are working with health officials, retailers and police to implement frontline measures to minimise the devastating affect chroming has.
The company also revealed they will be introducing even stronger warnings on their products which they hope will be introduced by other aerosol manufacturers.
Ms Mair was further informed by a Unilever boss that the government is against educating about chroming claiming it would encourage children to try it rather than stop it.
A coroner is yet to determine Bradley’s cause of death with Ms Mair hoping for a public inquest.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Unilever for comment.