WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS: A tragic incident recently unfolded when a tenth-grade student, Harris Wolobah, lost his life shortly after participating in the widely popular "One Chip Challenge."
According to NBC Boston, This challenge involves consuming what is claimed to be the world's spiciest chip and has gained significant attention on social media platforms.
Harris, who hailed from Worcester, Massachusetts, was a mere 14 years old when he tragically died.
Harris's death linked to the 'one chip challenge'
The unfortunate sequence of events began on September 1 when Harris complained of a stomachache at school. It was later revealed that he had ingested the extremely spicy chip given to him by a fellow classmate as part of the viral challenge.
Initially, Harris seemed to feel better after returning home; however, his condition took a dire turn when he lost consciousness at around 4:30 pm, just before heading out for basketball tryouts.
Worcester police Lt Sean Murtha described the distressing scene to Worcester Telegram when they arrived. Harris was unresponsive and had stopped breathing.
Rushed to the hospital, he was ultimately pronounced dead, marking the first reported fatality linked to the consumption of the fiery chip.
Regrettably, several other children have also required medical attention after participating in the "One Chip Challenge."
This alarming trend had previously prompted action in some school districts. In October 2022, a school district in Lafayette, Louisiana, banned these chips from all campuses following multiple incidents of students requiring medical assistance.
A month later, paramedics were summoned to a high school in Dunwood, Georgia, leading to a warning issued by the police regarding the snack's potential dangers.
The explosive popularity of #onechipchallenge
The "One Chip Challenge" is a marketing campaign centered around a single tortilla chip that boasts the spiciest in the world.
It has garnered a substantial following on social media, with the '#onechipchallenge' tag amassing over two billion views on TikTok.
These chips have been manufactured by Paqui since 2016, and Amplify Snack Brands, the parent company, was acquired by The Hershey Company in 2017.
Each year sees the release of a new flavor, and in 2023, the latest edition became available on Amazon starting August 9.
Although the chip lists fewer than ten ingredients, the California Reaper Pepper and Naga Viper Pepper are particularly notable.
The former holds the official title of the world's hottest pepper, registering up to 2.2 Million Scoville Heat Units (SHUs), while the latter is slightly milder at 1,382,118 SHUs.
The Scoville Scale quantifies the heat of various peppers relative to capsaicin, the compound responsible for their spiciness, with pure capsaicin measuring a whopping 16 million Scoville units.
The promotional site for these chips carries a warning label advising to "Keep out of reach of children" and indicating that they are intended for adult consumption.
It encourages individuals to seek medical attention if they experience complications like difficulty breathing, fainting, or prolonged nausea.
Paqui has run an ad campaign challenging people to endure the pain, with a graphic on their website asking, 'How long can you last before you spiral out?' and featuring an image of a grim reaper holding a snake.
Those who can withstand the heat for an hour without consuming any relief are hailed as Apex Predators.
It remains uncertain whether the consumption of the fiery chip directly contributed to Harris's tragic death, and an autopsy is pending to shed light on this matter.
Community support and condolences
Dr Rachel Monárrez, Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools, expressed her condolences, "As a mother and educator, I cannot imagine how hard this is on his family, friends and teachers. My heart goes out to all who knew and loved him."
"It is during the most trying times that the community of Worcester comes together and this is one of those times. May we stay focused on allowing the grief and healing process during this difficult time."
In the wake of this heart-wrenching incident, the Worcester community has come together to support Harris's family. A GoFundMe fundraiser was initiated by Tashia Roberts, the boy's cousin, with the goal of raising $30,000 to help cover funeral expenses.
"The pain our family is experiencing is unimaginable. Harris was a light that lit up the room with his presence and subtle charm," she wrote.
At the time of writing, over $20,000 had already been donated. Roberts described Harris as an intelligent, quirky, and talented young individual with a deep passion for video games and basketball.
She expressed "Our family is planning to lay Harris to rest in the coming weeks, so I’m hoping that with the help of this compassionate community, we can raise enough funds to alleviate the burden of funeral expenses for his parents and siblings during this incredibly difficult time," Roberts said.
