Teen Dies After Participating In Dangerous ‘One Chip Challenge’
By Movieguide® Contributor
A high school sophomore recently died after participating in the “One Chip Challenge,” a dangerous new social media trend.
Harris Wolobah took part in the challenge last week, eating a spicy chip made with Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers.
His mother, Lois Wolobah, received a call from the school nurse informing her he had passed out. She came to pick him up and take him home, and Harris passed out again. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Harris’ cause of death has not yet been officially determined, but his family has pointed to the chip challenge as the reason.
“I pray to God that no parent goes through what I’m going through,” Lois said. “I don’t want to see anybody hurting the way I’m hurting. I miss my son so much, I miss him so much.”
His father, Amos Wolobah, added that Harris had “no pre-existing condition.”
The challenge, started by hot chip bran Paqui, instructs consumers to “eat the entire chip. Wait as long as possible before drinking or eating anything. Post your reaction on social media with #onechipchallenge and mention @paquichips.”
Since Harris’ death, Paqui has asked stores carrying their products to stop selling the chip — a request 7-11 has already complied with. The company has also released a statement about the danger of the chips.
“The Paqui One Chip Challenge is intended for adults only,” the statement read. “We have seen an increase in teens and other individuals not heeding these warnings. As a result, while the product continues to adhere to food safety standards, out of abundance of caution, we are actively working with retailers to remove the product from shelves.”
Movieguide® previously reported on the dangers of social media challenges:
In April 2022, 12-year-old Archie Battersbee became another victim of the popular social media challenge on TikTok called the “blackout challenge.”
Battersbee’s mother found her 12-year-old son unconscious after he took part in the dangerous challenge. Archie, who was on life support since April, recently died according to The Independent.
Archie’s parents, like many others, filed a lawsuit against TikTok for their negligent business practices which put children in harm’s way.
