Boy Died After Eating Ultra-Spicy Chip in ‘One Chip Challenge’: Internet Trend Turns Fatal

Photo byPaqui Chips, Twitter/X

In a trajic incident in 2023, a young 14-year-old, Harris Wolobah from Massachusetts, met his untimely demise following his participation in the perilous “One Chip Challenge.”

What Is the ‘One Chip Challenge’?

This challenge involves consuming a single tortilla chip, a seemingly innocent snack, infused with spices derived from the Carolina Reaper and the Naga Viper, two of the most fiery peppers known to humanity.

The challenge, a creation of Amplify Snack Brands, a Hershey Company subsidiary, is presented in a coffin-shaped box, symbolizing its dangerous nature, and is embellished with a red skull and a series of warnings, especially for those with medical conditions or pregnant individuals.

The challenge is less of a culinary delight and more of an extreme sport, pushing the boundaries of human endurance to spice.

Harris’s Fatal Reaction to the Chip

Harris, a healthy teenager, experienced severe stomach pain shortly after consuming the chip and sought help from his school nurse. Tragically, within a few hours, he lost consciousness and ceased breathing, leading to his unfortunate demise despite the relentless efforts of paramedics and medical specialists.

What Makes the Chip So Dangerous?

The scientific intrigue behind this challenge lies in the chemical composition of the peppers used. The heat emanating from peppers is due to capsaicin, a compound that activates our heat-detecting nerves, sending signals of extreme heat to our nervous system.

The concentration of capsaicin is measured in Scoville heat units (SHU), with the Carolina Reaper reaching a scorching 2,000,000 SHU and the Naga Viper close behind at approximately 1,400,000 SHU.

This fiery sensation tricks our body into believing it is engulfed in flames, releasing a cocktail of feel-good hormones as a coping mechanism and initiating several physiological responses. The body prepares to combat the perceived internal inferno by enhancing inflammatory responses, dilating blood vessels to cool vital organs, and expelling digestive contents.

While the internet is flooded with videos of daring individuals enduring the fiery wrath of such spicy concoctions, serious complications, including fatal ones, are extremely rare. The body's heightened responses can, in severe cases, lead to the narrowing of cerebral arteries or damage to the esophagus due to persistent retching.

A Grieving Mother’s Plea

The exact circumstances leading to Harris’s tragic end remain unclear, and autopsy results are pending. But his grieving mother, Lois Wolobah, has been vocal about raising awareness regarding the potential dangers of such challenges, urging parents to be vigilant. She has been quoted saying, "I just want there to be an awareness for parents to know that it's not safe."

Calls for the Withdrawal of the Product

In light of this tragic event, there have been calls for the withdrawal of the product, and it is reportedly being pulled from shelves across the US. The company, Paqui, has extended their condolences but refrained from further comments.

This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the unforeseen consequences of seemingly harmless viral challenges and emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying scientific principles and potential risks before engaging in such daring endeavors.

The fiery ordeal that the “One Chip Challenge” presents is not just a test of one’s spice tolerance but also a gamble with one’s life, and it is crucial for individuals to be well-informed and exercise caution.