Secret Smoker, 14, Chokes On Fabric Deodorant Fumes (Dies)

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 5-10-2005 | Richard Savill

[blam]

Secret smoker, 14, chokes on fabric deodorant fumes

By Richard Savill
(Filed: 10/05/2005)

A schoolgirl has died after spraying herself with a fabric deodorant in the bathroom of her family home to hide the smell of cigarettes.

Helen Coffey, 14, who had been smoking in the bathroom, collapsed as she used a can of Deofab to spray her clothes. She died a week later in hospital.

Her family said the aerosol spray in the confined space had made her choke and caused a haemorrhage in her throat.

Her mother, Agnes, 46, said: "She sprayed it all over her clothes, the room and on her hands. She accidentally inhaled it and that's how she died."

Mrs Coffey added: "She had a rebellious streak, just like all teenagers. That's why she used to smoke. I begged her not to but she carried on doing it in secret.

"Now of course I wish I'd let her puff away in front of me. At least she would be alive today. She was a wonderful, kind girl."

Mrs Coffey bought the Deofab to freshen up the family home in Rumney, Cardiff. "I had no idea that Helen would use it to try to disguise the smell of smoke," she said.

"I don't want this to happen to another family."

The Cardiff coroner, Dr Lawrence Addicott, opened and adjourned an inquest until a later date.

The Deofab manufacturers MSG, of Richmond, London, said: "It is not a personal deodorant and carries a safety warning in the instructions."

"It's the world's number one deodoriser and is manufactured to UK standards. It is perfectly safe to use in normal circumstances."

[gitmo]

Smoking is hazardous to your health. < /sarcasm>

[Spktyr]

Evolution in action. Need to nominate her for a Darwin.

[cyborg]

This is very sad BUT the mom has to realise her daughter misused a product.

[Right Wing Assault]

Holy $417! We should be dropping this stuff in Iraq. If it doesn't kill them, at least they won't stink as bad.

[cricket]

"Evolution in action. Need to nominate her for a Darwin.:

Do not think this merits a 'Darwin'. . .the stuff smells good; it is designed to disguise odors on fabrics. . .if you sit on it. . .why would you think it would be harmful in case of skin contact?

Think this was simply viewed as an easy solution for a young, determined teenager; and I think an understandable mistake.

Very sad to lose a child by such seemingly pointless and somewhat innocent, mistake.

[Spktyr]

Why would I think it would be harmful... hm, maybe because IT SAYS IT ON THE LABEL??????

[LasVegasMac]

"She had a rebellious streak, just like all teenagers. That's why she used to smoke. I begged her not to but she carried on doing it in secret.

"Now of course I wish I'd let her puff away in front of me. At least she would be alive today. She was a wonderful, kind girl."

What do you say, besides, ....just, damn.

My heart goes out to Mom and Dad.

LVM

[cyborg]

yeah! lol

[don-o]

Need a new award for stupid posts like this

Clymer Award?

[TSgt]

Mrs Coffey added: "She had a rebellious streak, just like all teenagers. That's why she used to smoke. I begged her not to but she carried on doing it in secret.

That's when you "bust their ass" like my dad used to say.

[Spktyr]

I hope you're referring to the original poster and not my comment.

If so, I'm thinking that maybe the Dodo award would be appropriate.

[whereasandsoforth]

The girl vitually bathes in the chemicals and dies. What DO they put in that stuff? It needs a skull & crossbones on the label in my opinion. This stuff doesn't sound like Fabreze's cousin from across the pond.

[Right Wing Assault]

New! Improved! Deofab! Kills odors, kills you! If you dead, you can't smell anything anyway, chump. Buy some today!

[netmilsmom]

Hey!

[KidGlock]

I bet the family gets $30 million.

[solitas]

New commercial: "...Deofab: it got Helen to stop smoking - it can do the same for you..."

[GovernmentShrinker]

Non-stick cooking sprays are safe to eat, but most people wouldn't assume it was safe to go into a tiny enclosed room and empty a whole can of it into the air, and breathe it. This girl must have been a bit dim-witted. Any normal 14 year old would have noticed some irritation quickly, and stopped spraying, and left the room to get some fresh air.

[Spktyr]

"Deofab - the official fabric deodorizer of Death!"

[Bones75]

This is a shame... she must have thought it was just more like a general deodorizer. I would say she must have sprayed an awful lot of the stuff in order to have the effect that it had.

In any case, I remember the old trick back in my younger days was to make what we called a "mojo". It wouldn't completely kill the smell because you still had a burning cigarette, but it would help somewhat. You take a cardboard tube for paper towels or toilet paper, stuff a couple of dryer sheets in there, and then when you smoke... whatever it is you are smoking.. you exhale through the "mojo" and it comes out smelling like a springtime bouqet. :-) Kids, don't try this at home.