Daniel Maguire, 14, lost his life on September 27 after he overdosed after inhaling an aerosol.
Daniel’s Dad, Dermot, detailed how his son was pronounced dead at Temple Street Hospital in the hours after he found his son unresponsive in his room.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s "Liveline" on Monday, Dermot said his son was "happy [and] healthy" and shared how he found him "passed out on the floor" one night after inhaling an aerosol.
"I knew straight away what was after happening" Dermot shared, "You could smell it. There was a sock there beside him. The can of deodorant was there. It registered very quickly with us."
Dermot revealed that he had been aware of the act of inhaling deodorant, which is often referred to as dusting.
He had spoken to Daniel and his younger brother about it when a teenage girl in [County] Clare died in similar circumstances to Daniel.
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"We explained the dangers about it," Dermot told host Kieran Cuddihy, "But of course, teenagers being teenagers, they think they’re invincible.
"The thing is, they’re rolling a dice. Every child that does this, no matter who they are, no matter what their background."
Dermot stressed the dangers of inhaling aerosols, which he said was a "countrywide" issue.
"We received messages from all over Ireland, the people that have lost loved ones," he said, "I’d even call it an epidemic in Ireland at the moment.
"When I was young, it was around, when I was growing up, it was around. It’s always been there, but it’s always, it’s never spoken about. It’s not talked about enough; it needs to be made more public.
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"There’s children in this country dying because of this, my own included. Parents need to talk to their kids and explain it to them; there is no second chance with this."
A clip of the harrowing segment was shared on the RTÉ Radio 1 Instagram, with many taking to the comments full of praise and well-wishes for Dermot.
One wrote: "Listened to this interview today. Dermot you were just great. I’m so sorry that you lost your beloved Daniel."
Another added: "Well done, Dermot."
A third commented, "This is so heartbreaking, my heart goes out to Dermot."
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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