Gas lighter kills another Turkish teen

HATAY

A Turkish teen has died after inhaling gas lighter, becoming the latest victim of a dangerous trend that experts issued warnings about.

Demirören News Agency reported on Aug. 3 that an 18-year-old, identified only as Kemal D., collapsed and was hospitalized by his friends after inhaling gas lighter and consuming energy drinks in the southern province of Hatay last week.

He died on Aug. 2 despite a week-long treatment at a local hospital’s intensive care unit.

Ahmet Saldıran, the head of the Association for Fight Against Addiction, in Hatay, warned that more and more teens use gas lighter “to prove themselves to their friends.”

“The gas causes heart attacks and arythmia. As it stops oxygen flow to lungs and brain, it triggers vomiting, fainting and sometimes death,” he said.

“Parents should be very careful. They should keep communication channels with their sons and daughters open with empathy,” he added.

In Turkey, it is illegal to sell lighters to people under the age of 18.