Teenagers Get Poisoned Because of Viral Tide Pod Challenge

Ever heard about the Tide Pod Challenge? Apparently, it’s the new challenge that went viral on the internet most recently – and it’s truly crazy! In the said trend, participants of the challenge (who are mostly teens) take on a dare to eat the bright-colored detergent.

Sounds gross, you say? Well it’s actually much more than that because it could be potentially deadly, the experts warn.

Parents and authorities are alarmed because of the disturbing challenge.

According to reports, the first two weeks of January recorded “39 cases of teens biting into the laundry detergent”. This was a big jump compared to the 53 cases throughout 2017.

To make matters worse, the third week had 86 teen cases reported.

American Association of Poison Control Centers CEO Stephen Kaminstki had this to say:

“Since our first alert to this life-threatening activity, the trend of intentionally ingesting single-load laundry packets has increased in its popularity despite repeated warnings.

“We cannot stress enough how dangerous this is to the health of individuals – it can lead to seizure, pulmonary edema, respiratory arrest, coma, and even death.”

Teens are filming themselves while eating the detergent and then later upload the said clip on YouTube.

Fortunately, YouTube has been quick to act regarding the hype and have pulled down videos right away.

Meanwhile, Tide has issued a public statement regarding the matter.

David Taylor, CEO of Procter & Gamble, the makers of Tide, said:

“Ensuring the safety of the people who use our products is fundamental to everything we do at P&G.

“However, even the most stringent standards and protocols, labels and warnings can’t prevent intentional abuse fuelled by poor judgment and the desire for popularity.

“As P&G’s CEO, I assure you we’re working with our partners to do what we can to stop this dangerous trend, including ensuring social media networks are removing videos that glorify this harmful behaviour, partnering with advocacy and industry groups to help spread the word that this is dangerous behaviour not to be copied, and releasing this public service announcement that is designed to reach teens and young adults – in addition to other steps we’ve taken.

“Let’s all take a moment to talk with the young people in our lives and let them know that their life and health matter more than clicks, views and likes. Please help them understand that this is no laughing matter.”

Watch the video report here: