The family of a teenager who died after eating an extremely spicy tortilla chip as part of a social media challenge gathered at a vigil Friday while they await word from the Massachusetts coroner about the cause of his death.
The 14-year-old Harris Wolobah from Worcester, Massachusetts, died on Sept. 1 after trying the One Chip Challenge—a social media challenge that requires participants to eat the ultra-spicy chip without drinking or eating anything else for as long as possible.
Family and friends of Harris believe the chip caused his death, and his family called for the chips to be banned from store shelves. Results of the autopsy are pending.
Texas-based manufacturer Paqui has since asked retailers to stop selling the chips, a step 7-Eleven had already taken.
Worcester Police said in a statement that they were called to the teen’s house the afternoon of Sept. 1 and found him “unresponsive and not breathing.” He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“The chip is responsible in our eyes for whatever took place because he was a healthy kid,” said Douglas Hill, who runs the basketball league Harris played in. He described him as a quiet teen whose family came to the United States from Liberia.
“The conversation now is about the chip, but there will be other challenges coming and we want to make sure children know they shouldn’t be participating in anything that could put them in harm’s way,” said Mr. Hill, who organized a basketball event Saturday to honor the teen.
A vigil for the teen took place Friday evening at a park in Worcester in central Massachusetts. A crowd of about 100, including many of Harris’s friends and teammates, attended at the park, down the hill from his home. They lit candles, swapped stories, and ate pizza. Huge photos of the dread-locked teen hung from a statue, surrounded by his name in gold letters and blue and white balloons. Tiny basketballs were handed out.
Chip manufacturer Paqui posted its condolences on its website Thursday, saying it was “deeply saddened by the death” of Harris.
“We have seen an increase in teens and other individuals not heeding these warnings,” the company said. “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.”
The One Chip Challenge chips were marketed as a challenge; they sold for about $10 and came wrapped in a sealed foil pouch enclosed in a coffin-shaped cardboard box.
A warning on the back states that the chip is intended for adults and should be kept out of children’s reach. It also urges people to “seek medical assistance should you experience difficulty breathing, fainting or extended nausea.”
The inside of the coffin advertises the strong effect of the chip and features the rules for the challenge, inviting consumers to post how long they can last without drinking or eating on social media using the hashtag #onechipchallenge.
Not the First Incident
A quick look on social media shows scores of people—including children— unwrapping the packaging, eating the spicy chips, and then reacting to the heat. Some videos show people screaming, gagging, and begging for water.
“We urge parents to discuss this with their children and advise them not to partake in this activity,” Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said in a series of posts about the challenge on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Medical professionals have said the tortilla chip, which is made from two of the spiciest chili peppers in the world, can cause very serious and dangerous side effects,” he added.
“The company warnings state the chips are intended for adult consumption,” he said, repeating the warning printed on the package.
There have been reports from around the country of teens getting sick after taking part in the challenge. Last year, paramedics were called to a Minnesota school when seven students fell ill after taking part in the challenge, and three students from a California high school were sent to a hospital; just Wednesday, six children at a Florida elementary school needed medical attention after coming into contact with the chip.
“You can have very mild symptoms like burning or tingling of the lips in the mouth, but you can also have more severe symptoms,” said Dr. Lauren Rice, the chief of pediatric emergency medicine at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.
“This goes back to the ingredients that are used with the tortilla chip,” she said. “There are some spices like capsaicin, which is a chemical ingredient that we use in things like pepper spray.” At high doses, capsaicin can cause irreversible injury to the heart, or even death.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.