Death by Deodorant

Paige Daughtry, 12, is the most recent young person to die from overuse of deodorant. She reportedly used Right Guard deodorant like "it was going out of fashion." She was liberally spraying herself with the stuff in her parent's rented caravan, while the family was on holiday. She sprayed so much that it caused her to pass out, and she couldn't be revived.

As bizarre as it may sound to die from overuse of deodorant, this isn't the first time it's happened. If I had a kid, I don't think I'd let them use the spray stuff. It's toxic. I'd tell them to use solid deodorant, because that kind can't kill you.

Some of the other cases:

1998: 16-year-old Jonathan Capewell from Oldham. He was "a normal, healthy teenager who was not indulging in any form of substance abuse. He was simply overcome by excessive use of anti-perspirants."

2008: 12-year-old Daniel Hurley was "always putting gel on his hair and spraying deodorant." He was found collapsed in a bathroom after having sprayed "copious" amounts of Lynx Vice spray.

2015: 16-year-old Thomas Townsend of Kent was found collapsed, surrounded by 42 cans of deodorant. His mother said, "He would not take showers but would stand there with a deodorant and spray half the can on him."

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Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Posted By: Alex - Thu Mar 30, 2017
Category: Death | Hygiene | Baths, Showers and Other Cleansing Methods

Comments

Who else was surprised that Axe deoderant wasn't mentioned in the post?

Posted by crc on 03/30/17 at 08:06 AM

So it's an inhalation hazard. I wonder about hair sprays, then. They surely have lots of ingredients you can't pronounce, too.

I stay away from the "As Seen on TV" deodorant junk altogether. Even in stick / roll-on, they became toxic to my skin years ago, producing rashes. I use a tree-hugger brand.

Posted by Virtual on 03/30/17 at 09:57 AM

Regarding the 2015 incident, we always called what he was doing a * shower.
(* - insert epithet for ethnic group known for being cheap)

Posted by Fritz G on 03/30/17 at 10:03 AM

Is there a Darwin Award category for this?

Posted by KDP on 03/30/17 at 10:32 AM

42 cans of deodorant, eh? Pretty certain he wasn't going to make it anyway. That's a special kind of retard, one for which ol' Uncle Chuck has a real fondness.

Posted by A Nonny Mouse on 03/30/17 at 01:48 PM

I wonder how much of this is a casual, unintended form of huffing. You use a little more than normal, the fumes make you feel good without your realizing the source, so you use a little more next time, a little more the time after that . . .. You never think of it as getting a buzz, you're just subconsciously associating a certain action with a certain feeling.

Posted by Phideaux on 03/30/17 at 03:35 PM

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