by PiccoloNamek / Wikimedia
The parents of Georgia Green, a 14-year-old girl who died after inhaling deodorant spray, are calling on companies for clearer labeling to warn people of the potential dangers.
Giorgia lived in Derby, England and had a heart attack after spraying deodorant in his room, in 2022. Since then, parents have learned of cases of other youngsters who accidentally died after inhaling deodorant.
The British Association of Aerosol Manufacturers (Bama) says deodorants have “very clear warnings”. In the UK, deodorant aerosols must have a ‘keep out of reach of children’ warning printed on the packaging.
Giorgia’s parents reported that, in the UK, the warning is currently in very small print and many parents have to buy deodorants for their children without looking at the warning.
“In the people don’t know how dangerous it can be the contents of those cans,” said Giorgia’s father, Paul Green. “May no one else in the country – or the world – go through what we went through. We don’t want our daughter’s death to be in vain.”
The pair argue that deodorants should carry a warning stating that the product “can kill instantly”.
Giorgia was autistic and her father said the youngster liked to spray deodorant on the blankets because she found the smell comforting.
“The smell gave her one certain sense of relaxation. If she felt a bit anxious, I sprayed the deodorant and that gave her a sense of comfort because that’s the deodorant my wife used,” Paul said.
On the day of the incident, May 11, 2022, Giorgia’s older brother found her unconscious in her room. “The door was open, it wasn’t a closed environment. the exact amount [de desodorizante inalada] it’s not clear, but it would be more than a human would normally use,” the father continued.
An inquest was held into Giorgia’s death and investigators concluded it was an accident. The cause of death was listed as “not determined, but compatible with aerosol inhalation’.
Giorgia Green’s parents want clearer product labeling to warn of potential dangers https://t.co/Arvd11P2p6
— BBC East Midlands (@bbcemt) January 26, 2023
According to the United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), the word “deodorant” was mentioned on 11 death certificates between 2001 and 2020. However, the actual number of deaths from this cause is likely to be higher because specific substances are not always mentioned on death certificates.
THE butane – the main propellant in the deodorant in question – was linked to 324 deaths between 2001 and 2020. propane and isobutane – also present in deodorant – were linked to 123 and 38 deaths, respectively.
The ONS said the substances have been linked to several deaths. “Inhalation of butane or propane gas can lead to heart failure,” he noted.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has claimed that several people have died after overusing deodorant spray.
Ashley Martin, public health adviser for RoSPA, said: “It is easy to assume that they are completely safe and completely harmless. The truth is, it isn’t. Inhaling large amounts of aerosols, not just deodorants, can lead to a range of life-threatening scenarios – from fainting and difficulty breathing to changes in heart rate and unfortunately to death”.
“There is a common misconception that aerosol deaths only occur in a substance abuse setting, but this is not true. We’ve seen a number of deaths in recent years where children and young adults have been oversprayed,” he said.
Giorgia’s parents said they had found some of these cases through their research. One was 12-year-old Daniel Hurley, also from Derbyshire, who collapsed and died after spraying deodorant in the bathroom.
“It was 2008, but my daughter died in 2022. awareness on the subject it’s not enoughsaid Paul.
In 2019, 13-year-old Jack Waple died in similar circumstances to Giorgia. The investigation concluded that the teenager sprayed deodorant when his mother left the house and felt stressed.
