A New South Wales coroner has recommended changes to aerosol labelling to help prevent "the death of another young life".
Bradley Hope, 16, died after inhaling aerosol deodorant during a sleepover at a friend's house at Tweed Heads in December 2019.
There is broad agreement about the circumstances surrounding his death, but his mother, Corinne Mair, lobbied for an inquest in a bid to "stop another young life like Bradley's being lost".
State Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan handed down her findings and recommendations in Byron Bay today, saying "nothing can be more important than preventing the death of another young life".
She recommended the Aerosol Association of Australia (AAA) carry out an expert evaluation of the efficacy and impact of warning labels on aerosol containers.
Magistrate O'Sullivan said the AAA's guide on aerosol labelling should also be updated to warn against deliberate inhalation, suggesting acronyms like SACKI (solvent abuse can kill instantly) or IMCKI (inhalant misuse can kill instantly).
Her recommendations also included consideration of mandatory warnings on aerosol containers.
Hope family's efforts acknowledged
Magistrate O'Sullivan acknowledged the courage and persistence of Ms Mair in helping to shine a light on the issue.
"[There is] very real potential other lives can be saved as a result," she said.
Previously, the inquest heard that voluntary substance use (VSU), also known as chroming, could involve a range of "ubiquitous" products only linked by the way they were administered.
A court order has been issued to prevent publication of the specific techniques and products used by people engaged in the risky behaviour or discussion of the effects they were seeking.
The inquest heard VSU had killed more than a dozen young Australians since 2009.
The coroner said a multi-faceted response was also required to better understand and address VSU.
Magistrate O'Sullivan recommended this be in the form of a roundtable with key stakeholders including emergency services, education officials, Department of Communities and Justice, community youth groups, industry participants and major retailers of aerosols.
She recommended it be led by the NSW Ministry of Health and follow a similar format to the Inhalants Roundtable held in Queensland in December 2019.
The key themes would include:
- Prioritising the collation of data … relating to VSU in NSW
- Ensuring adequate training of first responders in identifying VSU
- Formulating an approach to public health education programs around VSU
'You are loved beyond words'
Bradley Hope's family welcomed the coroner's findings.
"Brad died just over three years ago and the circumstances that surround his death are something we hope no other families ever experience," they said in a statement.
"We earnestly hope that the findings handed down today are heard and acted upon by all the relevant stakeholders, including supermarket retailers, NSW Health, NSW Department of Education and in particular the manufacturers of aerosol and antiperspirant deodorants.
"All young people who pass away in preventable circumstances are someone's child, and in this case that child was our Brad.
"He should have had his whole life ahead of him."
The statement included heartfelt words from Ms Mair to her son.
"You are loved beyond words, and I will love and miss you with every breath I take until my last," she said.
"I would not have changed you for the world, but I would have changed the world for you."
