Teenager who found deodorant scent ‘relaxing’ dies of aerosol inhalation

A “perfectly healthy” teenage girl who liked the smell of deodorant died after inhaling aerosol.

Giorgia Green, 14, from Derbyshire, suffered a cardiac arrest after spraying deodorant in her bedroom.

Her parents said that Giorgia, who was autistic and displayed “sensory seeking behaviour”, liked to spray her blanket with the substance and wrap herself in it.

Clare and Paul Green are now calling for clearer product labelling to warn others of the dangers of aerosol deodorant, and to ensure their daughter’s tragic death is not “in vain”.

“People don’t know how dangerous the contents of those tins can be,” Mr Green told the BBC.

“I would like it so that no one else in the country – or the world – would end up having to go through what we’ve personally gone through.”

Mr Green said his daughter would spray deodorant whenever she was feeling anxious as it gave her “a certain sense of relaxation”.

While it is a legal requirement that aerosol deodorants have a “keep out of reach of children” warning, the couple believes the writing is too small.

‘Very clear warnings’

The British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association, however, say deodorants have “very clear warnings”.

On a crowdfunder set up by Giorgia’s parents to raise awareness of the dangers of such products, they stressed that she was a “perfectly healthy” and “fit” teenager who had “never been seriously ill”.

Giorgia was found unresponsive by her older brother on May 11 2020 – a tragedy that came as a “total shock” to her family.

Mr Green told the BBC: “Her door was open, so it wasn’t as if it was an enclosed environment.”

“The exact amount [of deodorant] isn’t clear but it would be more than you would normally spray.

“At some point her heart stopped as a result of breathing it in.”

Conclusion of misadventure

An inquest was held into Giorgia’s death and the coroner recorded the conclusion as misadventure.

Her medical cause of death was “unascertained but consistent with inhalation of aerosol”.

“Deodorant” was mentioned on 11 death certificates between 2001 and 2020, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

However, the actual number of deaths could be higher than this, owing to the fact that specific substances are not always mentioned on death certificates.

Giorgia’s death certificate referred to “inhalation of aerosol” rather than “deodorant”.

While it is not a legal requirement, most aerosol deodorant tins have a warning that says “solvent abuse can kill instantly”.