Concern over the One Chip Challenge, a social media challenge that pushes people to consume one eponymous extremely hot and spicy chip has arisen in the wake of the death of a Massachusetts teenager, Harris Wolobah, who ate the dangerous chip.
Paqui, the company that makes the product, has asked stores to cease selling it.
Children have not been allowed to purchase the chip because of the warnings that it is just for adults and should not be given to them. Florida school officials expelled a 10-year-old girl for bringing the chip on campus, and six students at Forest Park Elementary School required medical care after handling it. Three California high school students and seven Minnesota kids were reported unwell last year after participating in the challenge. They say they learned about the chip challenge via social media and that Wolobah’s death has made them realize how hazardous it is.
The chip, which retails for around $10 and is sold in a coffin-shaped box with foil packaging, is not meant for children and should be stored safely out of their reach.
Major stores like 7-Eleven and Walgreens have banned the controversial chip because of the absence of parental oversight. Videos of people, especially children, responding to the challenge’s extreme heat have become a major driving force.
The Hershey Company’s Paqui division is working with merchants to pull the product off shelves after the traffic death of Harris Wolobah. Doctors have cautioned that consuming extremely spicy meals might have unforeseen repercussions, and Massachusetts officials have warned parents about the risk.
Lip burning/tingling/numbness are mild symptoms; stomach pain/nausea/vomiting are more severe symptoms.
The chips may be lethal in extreme cases since they can cause dysrhythmia or permanent cardiac damage if taken in sufficient quantities.
Meta, Google, and TikTok have all remained silent about the matter.
