A tenth grade boy has died suddenly after taking part in the viral ‘One Chip Challenge’ and eating what is said to be the spiciest chip in the world.
According to NBC Boston, Harris Wolobah died the same day he took part in the online trend known as the “One Chip Challenge.” Harris was from Worcester, Massachusetts and was only 14 when he died.
On September 1, the boy’s mother was called to school when Harris complained of abdominal pain. He had eaten the dangerously spicy chip after receiving it from a classmate.
The young teen felt better after going home, but he passed out at 4:30 p.m. as he was about to leave for basketball practices.
Talking to the Worcester telegramPolice Lieutenant Sean Murtha said the boy was unresponsive and not breathing. He was taken to hospital and pronounced dead.
While Harris’s death marks the first fatality after eating the chips, many other children required medical attention after eating them.
Harris Wolobah, 14, died hours after eating a spicy tortilla chip as part of the “One Chip Challenge,” a social media trend that has gained billions of views on TikTok. The Massachusetts teen was a talented athlete who was described by the family as “a light that lit up the room”
Harris complained of abdominal pain after eating the chip provided by a classmate. He seemed to be fine hours later, but suddenly collapsed as he was about to go to basketball practice
In October 2022, a school district in Lafayette, Louisiana forbidden the chips from all campuses after several students required medical attention.
Less than a month later, the paramedics arrived called to a high school in Dunwood, Georgia, prompting police to issue a warning about the snack.
The ‘One Chip Challenge’ is a marketing campaign based around one tortilla chip that is touted as the spiciest in the world.
The challenge has attracted many followers on social media, with the ‘#onechipchallenge’ tag having been viewed over two billion times on TikTok.
The chip, manufactured by Paqui since 2016, is the product of Texas-based Amplify Snack Brands, which was acquired by The Hershey Company in 2017.
A new flavor is released each year, and the 2023 edition will be available on Amazon from August 9. While fewer than ten ingredients are listed, two that stand out the most are the California Reaper Pepper and Naga Viper Pepper.
The California Reaper Pepper was officially declared the hottest pepper in the world, with a capacity of no less than 2.2 million Scoville Heat Units (SHUs) on the Scoville scale. The Naga Viper Pepper came in just short with 1,382,118 SHUs.
The scale measures the strength of different peppers relative to capsaicin, the substance that gives chili peppers their heat. Pure capsaicin measures 16 million Scoville units.
The 2023 edition of the “One Chip Challenges” features a tortilla chip flavored with two of the spiciest peppers possible: the California Reaper Pepper and the Naga Viper Pepper. The California Reaper is ranked as the world’s spiciest pepper
Paqui, the manufacturer of the chip, encourages people to explore their physical limits. Those who can sustain the burning pain for up to an hour without food or drink earn the title of ‘Apex Predator’
The single chip comes in a coffin-shaped box with a red skull on it.
a warning Theon the promotional site reads: ‘Keep out of the reach of children. Intended for consumption by adults.’
The page encourages people to seek medical attention if they experience complications such as difficulty breathing, fainting or “prolonged nausea.”
Paqui ran an ad campaign challenging people to test whether they can tolerate the pain.
An image on the site reads, “How long can you hold out before spiraling?” and shows an image of the Grim Reaper holding a snake.
Those who cannot eat or drink anything for an hour to counteract the heat are considered an ‘Apex Predator’.
It remains unclear whether the snappy chip contributed to Harris’s death and an autopsy is pending.
On September 3, Dr. Rachel Monárrez, Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools, issued a statement published to the Worcester Public Schools website.
She called the teen a “rising star.”
Other children required medical attention after participating in the challenge, including high school students from Louisiana and Georgia
The teen’s high school, Doherty Memorial High, posted a statement from the county superintendent calling him a “rising star” and drawing the attention of students and teachers to grief counseling services.
Harris’ cousin, Tashia Roberts, organized a fundraiser after the boy’s death. She hoped that donations could cover funeral expenses to ease the financial burden on his parents
“As a mother and educator, I can’t imagine how hard this is on his family, friends and teachers. My heart goes out to all who knew and loved him,” Monárrez wrote.
“It is during the most trying times that the community of Worcester comes together and this is one of those times. May we remain focused on allowing the grieving and healing process to continue during this difficult time.”
a GoFundMe The fundraiser was set up the day after his death by Tashia Roberts, the boy’s cousin, with a goal of $30,000.
At the time of writing, more than $20,000 had already been raised.
“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.
The teen was described as intelligent, headstrong and talented, with a passion for video games and basketball.
“Our family plans to put Harris to rest in the coming weeks, so it is my hope that with the help of this compassionate community, we can raise enough money to ease the burden of funeral expenses for his parents and siblings during this incredibly difficult time. . time,” said Roberts.