A dangerous new trend called 'Tide Pod Challenge' has taken social media by storm, but experts warn the craze could be fatal.
Viral videos are showing teenagers biting into brightly colored liquid laundry detergent pods or cooking them in frying pans, then chewing them up before spewing the soap from their mouths and daring others to follow suit, record, and post their heroics online.
The origins of the challenge are unclear, but three years ago, Dylan Delmonico of The Onion, wrote a funny piece about eating detergent pods.
“So with God as my witness, I swear to you: I’m going to find that container of multicolored pods, I’m going to take one out, I’m going to shove it in my mouth, and I’m going to chew it up and swallow it down, and nothing and no one is going to stand in my way.”
In 2017, the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) said there were reports of more than 10,000 cases regarding laundry pods being consumed by children as little as 5.
According to AAPCC, nearly 40 cases have been reported so far, "of which around half were intentionally ingested." At least 10 deaths have been linked to ingesting these pods. Two were toddlers, eight were seniors with dementia.
Ann Marie Buerkle, acting chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), told ABC News:
"Teens trying to be funny are now putting themselves in danger by ingesting this dangerous substance. Currently we are aware of about 10 deaths since laundry pods came out into the market many years ago."
The multi-coloured detergent pods are made up of highly dangerous chemicals, chemicals that can easily give a person a chemical burn. The list of chemicals that make up those pods is long, but a few important ones are Ethanol (alcohol), Hydrogen Pre-Oxide and Polymers.
Diane Macedo, host of Good Morning America, says, “They are brightly coloured and they are nicely wrapped, but these Tide pods are not candy or pizza toppings or breakfast cereal, they are not edible.”
According to CPSC, immediate actions should be taken when the Tide Pods are taken or come in contact with the internal body. Those that are exposed to the chemicals in the pod can lose consciousness; they may be subjected to vomiting, swelling of neck and throat as well as difficulty in breathing.
https://twitter.com/USCPSC/status/951989752940630016
- USCPSC
Procter and Gamble, maker of Tide Pods, told ABC News:
“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of people who use our products. They should not be played with, whatever the circumstance is, even if meant as a joke.”
Buerkle told CBS News she is working with Procter & Gamble in making the Tide Pods less appealing for the children. “Making that laundry packet opaque, less attractive, less colourful, reducing the toxicity and the strength of laundry detergent.”
In case of emergency, call the local Poison Centre in the United States at 800 222 1222, while residents in the United Kingdom can call the National Health Service at 111.
https://twitter.com/tide/status/951940660499755008
- tide