Teen’s death leads to concern over hot chip challenge
WORCESTER, Mass. — The death of a Massachusetts teenager after his family said he ate an extremely spicy tortilla chip has led to an outpouring of concern about the social media challenge and prompted retailers to pull the product from their shelves at the manufacturer’s request.
The family of Harris Wolobah planned a vigil for Friday, a week after his death, to remember the basketball-loving tenth grader while they await the results of an autopsy to determine what killed him.
They blamed the teen’s death on the One Chip Challenge, which calls on participants to eat an eponymously named chip and then see how long they can go without consuming other food and water. The family has declined interview requests, though a man driving away from their Worcester home hours before the vigil said the family is “grieving deeply right now.” He declined to give his name.
Police said they were called to the home on Sept. 1 and found Wolobah “unresponsive and not breathing.” He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The state medical examiner’s office said it will likely take weeks before Wolobah’s cause of death is determined. But the chip’s manufacturer, Paqui, asked retailers to stop selling the product. And people have been weighing in about their own experiences with the chip, which costs roughly $10 and comes individually wrapped in foil in a coffinshaped box that warns, among other things, that it is made for the “vengeful pleasure of intense heat and pain,” is intended for adults and should be kept out of the reach of children.
Despite the warning, children have had no problem buying the chips.
A 10-year-old Florida girl was suspended this week for bringing one to school, her father, D’Anton Patrick, told West Palm Beach television station WPTV. Six children at Forest Park Elementary School needed medical attention after coming into contact with the chip Wednesday, according to the suspension letter sent the girl’s parents.
Patrick said his 12-yearold son bought the chip at a Walgreens on Tuesday, but the boy’s mother made him throw it away. He said his daughter, though, fished it out of the garbage and brought it to school.
“The box says keep out of the hands of children. It says it’s for adult consumption only. Why are y’all selling it to a 12-year-old child?” Patrick said.
There have been reports from around the country of teens who have gotten sick after taking part in the challenge, including three students from a California high school who were sent to a hospital. Paramedics were called to a Minnesota school last year when seven students fell ill after taking part in the challenge.
Adults, too, have been testing their spice tolerance.
Joaquin Diaz, a 31-yearold construction worker from the Bronx, in New York, said he tried the chip a few weeks ago after coming across social media videos about the challenge. He said he loves spicy food and wanted to see how he’d stack up.
“It hurt, I’m not gonna lie. I was actually a little nervous,” he said. Despite the stomach issues, Diaz said he had planned to try the chip again with some friends. But he decided not to after he heard about Wolobah’s death.
Roger Trier, a 56-yearold content creator and graphic designer from Palatine, Illinois, posted video on TikTok and YouTube of himself completing a 100-chip challenge this month.
He told the AP that he has trained for over 20 years to build up his spice tolerance.
“Most people you see on social media — with any challenges — don’t understand the consequences,” he said.