The “One Chip Challenge” is making headlines once again, but not thanks to fun social media videos. It was started back in 2016 by Paqui, the company that makes incredibly spicy chips, asked people to eat just one and see how long they could go without drinking or eating anything for relief. The 2022 “high voltage” One Chip Challenge involves eating a chip laced with Carolina Reaper and Scorpion peppers, according to the Paqui website, which claims those are the “hottest peppers on the planet.” The chip comes individually packaged in a coffin-shaped box with a skeleton on it and the idea is to post your reaction on social media with the hashtag #onechipchallenge.
But the problem is that kids are trying it and after reports that they’re ending up in the hospital as a result, school districts across the country are banning them and urging parents to warn their kids about the dangers of the challenge. Last week, a school district spokesperson for Tyler Independent School District in Texas said three middle school students were hospitalized after attempting the challenge. And several students from Lodi Unified School District in California were sent home and three were sent to the emergency room because of a reaction to the chip.
“The ingredient that makes these peppers so hot is the same found in pepper spray,” pediatrician Dr. Brett Christiansen explains. “If it was to get into the eyes or nose, it could result in a serious burning sensation there as well.” And even worse? He says if it was accidentally inhaled, which could happen when someone gasps from the heat while biting into the chip, it could lead to severe coughing or be a trigger for asthma. School district reps are warning that the challenge has become a “safety issue” for their students and some districts, like Huerfano School District Re-1 in Colorado, are taking it one step further by threatening suspension if the chips are brought onto campus.
Source: Cafe Mom
Photo: Getty Image