Parents of area schools are cautioned about a new challenge that is sweeping the country from a video posted on Tic Tok which often includes celebrities promoting the challenge. The “One Chip Challenge” has already been reported in in Treutlen County, with the school system’s social media page reporting an influx of students requesting to see the nurse. Unfortunately, there is nothing the nurse can do to ease the students’ pain.

In the challenge, participants eat a single chip that is made from extremely hot peppers including the Carolina Reaper and Scorpion Pepper. The challenge itself is to see how long a person can wait to drink something to provide relief after ingesting just one chip. Tik Tok encourages waiting at least an hour, and in some cases, causing detrimental consequences to the participant, and across the country, there are numerous reports of young people requiring hospitalization after the challenge.

While a disclaimer on the social media platform promoting the One Chip Challenge warns that persons sensitive to spicy foods, allergic to peppers or capsaicin, minors, and expectant mothers avoid the practice, the warnings often go neglected. Primarily distributed by a company called Paqui, the chips are available at convenience stores, grocers, pharmacies, and major online outlets.