The sporty teen who “loved the gym”, died suddenly in his bedroom after inhaling fumes from a can of deodorant at the family home
A grieving dad has made a gut-wrenching plea to teenagers and parents after his teenage son died from inhaling deodorant fumes – saying “It took one can of deodorant and a thousand lives changed.”
Daniel Maguire, 14, a sporty and health-conscious teenager who “loved the gym” died suddenly and tragically on September 27 in his bedroom after inhaling fumes from a can of deodorant at the family home in Hartstown in Dublin.
His heartbroken but brave dad Dermot has now spoken publicly urging others to understand the fatal consequences of the growing trend known as ‘fast gas,’ to prevent other families from suffering the same fate.
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Speaking exclusively to Irish Mirror Dermot said the reason he wants to warn others of the dangers is “If we save just one young person’s life, then Daniel didn’t die for nothing.”
Dermot spoke of the night Daniel, who was a third year student at Hartstown Community School, passed away.
“It was around 11pm on the night of 26 September and I was going to bed,” Dermot said. “I had shouted up to Daniel as he was in his bedroom if he had the key for the front door so I could lock it. Daniel said yeah he had and I asked him to throw it down and he said ‘No problem.’
“Then I heard nothing,” said Dermot. “I went upstairs and found him passed out on his bedroom floor. His brother Adam, 23, and I did our best, doing CPR, calling the emergency services.
“But I knew deep down that when the emergency services brought him out of our house that he was gone,” an emotional Dermot said. “The emergency services did everything they could to try and save him. They were fantastic.”
He said earlier that evening Daniel – who is survived by his mum Yvonne, dad Dermot, brothers Adam and Andrew, 13, – had been having a kick around with his pals at a local football club, had been to the gym, had his dinner, had a laugh and chats with his family and then went to his bedroom.
Dermot stressed that Daniel was not a habitual drug user or a troubled teen. “He wasn’t going around stoned or whatever all the time,” he said. “He was mad about going to the gym.
“He just made a mistake,” said Dermot. “Whether it was a TikTok challenge or not, we don’t know. We just know Daniel made a mistake. He passed out. He never woke up.”
The family said they have since learned of many other young people who have died after inhaling aerosols – tragedies they believe are not being made public enough to highlight the dangers.
Dermot, as well as speaking to Irish Mirror, made an emotional but hard-hitting video which he posted to social media warning youngsters of the dangers.
In the video he said: “This can’t go on. We’ve heard of so many other children and adults who have died recently because of this, and it’s not public enough.
“Teenagers talk to each other. Parents talk to your kids. We have to stop this because what’s left behind is just devastation.” He added that the aftermath of Daniel’s death has shattered their world.
“No family should ever have to go through what we went through,” he said. “As I said at Daniel’s funeral it was one can of deodorant, and a thousand lives changed.”
Dermot hopes Daniel’s story will serve as a wake-up call to others. “For Daniel’s sake, and for everyone’s sake, fast gas and deodorant inhaling needs to stop,” he said. “Please, talk to your friends. Talk to your children. It has to stop.”
Experts have long warned that inhaling aerosol propellants can cause sudden cardiac arrest, oxygen deprivation and, in some cases, instant death. The trend has been linked to social media videos encouraging risky “challenges” involving household sprays or gases.
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