'One Chip Challenge' pulled from shelves after mother says spicy chip contributed to son's death
www.nbcnews.com
Paqui's spicy tortilla chip product was sold in a coffin-shaped container.

Paqui, the maker of extremely spicy tortilla chips marketed as the “One Chip Challenge,” is voluntarily pulling the product from shelves after a woman said her teenage son died of complications from consuming a single chip.

The chips were sold individually, and their seasoning included two of the hottest peppers in the world: the Carolina Reaper and the Naga Viper.

Each chip was packaged in a coffin-shaped container with a skull on the front.

Lois Wolobah told NBC Boston that her 14-year-old son, Harris Wolobah, ate the chip Friday, then went to the school nurse with a stomachache. Wolobah said Harris — a sophomore at Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester, Massachusetts — passed out at home that afternoon. He was pronounced dead at the hospital later that day, she said.

Until sales of the product were suspended, Paqui’s marketing dared people to participate in the challenge by eating a chip, posting pictures of their tongues on social media after the chip turned it blue and then waiting as long as possible to relieve the burn with water or other food.

The challenge has existed in some form since 2016.

      • JokeDeity
        4•1 year ago

        I’m not religious, I just see the black and white statistics that alcohol does far more harm than good, for anyone.

        • Flying Squid
          3•1 year ago

          Yes, but we tried banning it. It didn’t work. What we need to do is legalize other drugs rather than throw more people in prison.

          • JokeDeity
            1•1 year ago

            I’ve probably repeated that before myself, but thinking about it now? There’s no way speakeasies would last more than a month in this modern age before being busted, the police also wouldn’t be dealing with a more well armed gang than themselves when trying to shut down illegal distribution like they were when going up against the mob during prohibition. I think it would work a lot better now. Would it erase ALL alcohol from the country? Of course not, but it would make a considerable difference. Same with guns, banning them might not make them all disappear over night, but it’s going to make a big difference in the long run. All just thought experiments anyways since republicans would never give anything like that a chance.

            • Flying Squid
              2•1 year ago

              I just don’t see the point of putting even more people in our prisons. We have the highest incarceration rate on the planet and the Constitution makes slavery legal for the incarcerated.