Massachusetts investigates teen’s death as Paqui pulls spicy One Chip Challenge from shelves

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — The passing of a Massachusetts teenager after ingesting an extremely spicy tortilla chip has resulted in widespread concern about the social media challenge and has prompted retailers to remove the product from their shelves at the manufacturer’s request. The family of Harris Wolobah held a vigil on Friday, a week after his death on Sept. 1, in order to commemorate the 10th-grade basketball enthusiast while they await the autopsy results to determine the cause of death. Wolobah’s family has attributed the teenager’s death to the One Chip Challenge. The challenge involves eating a chip named after itself and testing how long participants can go without consuming other food and water. The family has declined interview requests. On Sept. 1, police were called to the residence and found Wolobah “unresponsive and not breathing.” He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The state medical examiner’s office stated that it would likely take several weeks to determine the cause of death. Meanwhile, the chip’s manufacturer, Paqui, has requested that retailers discontinue selling the product. People have been sharing their own experiences with the chip, which costs approximately $10 and is individually wrapped in foil inside a coffin-shaped box. The warning label indicates that it is meant for adults and should be kept away from children, as it is made for the “vengeful pleasure of intense heat and pain.” Despite the warning, children have not had difficulty purchasing the chips. This week, a 10-year-old girl from Florida was suspended for bringing one to school, according to her father, D’Anton Patrick. The suspension letter sent to the girl’s parents stated that six children at Forest Park Elementary School required medical attention after coming into contact with the chip. Patrick stated that his 12-year-old son purchased the chip at a Walgreens but his mother made him discard it. However, his daughter retrieved it from the garbage and brought it to school. Numerous reports from across the country have emerged of teenagers falling ill after participating in the challenge, including three students from a California high school who were sent to a hospital. Last year, paramedics were summoned to a Minnesota school when seven students became sick after participating in the challenge. Friends of Wolobah expressed that they had heard about the chip challenge on social media and his death has convinced them that it is more dangerous than they previously thought. “I feel bad that his life ended short because of a social media challenge,” said Marcus Kaba, age 15, who remembered playing basketball with Harris. David Adjer, another teenager who attended the vigil with Harris, mentioned that he had heard about Wolobah falling ill from the chip but found it hard to believe that he died. “People were telling me Harris passed away. I was just angry,” he said. “I don’t think we should have this chip anymore. If someone dies from this chip, you should take out … They should take the chip off the shelves because we don’t need any more accidents like this.” Adults have also been testing their tolerance for spicy food. Joaquin Diaz, a 31-year-old construction worker from the Bronx, New York, recounted trying the chip a few weeks ago after discovering social media videos about the challenge. He loves spicy food and wanted to see how well he could handle it. Diaz mentioned that the chip was very hot, but he didn’t expect the stomach cramps and diarrhea that followed, causing him to miss work the next day. “It hurt, I’m not gonna lie. I was actually a little nervous,” he said. Despite the stomach issues, Diaz initially planned to try the chip again with his friends but changed his mind after learning about Wolobah’s death. Roger Trier, a 56-year-old content creator and graphic designer from Palatine, Illinois, posted a video on TikTok and YouTube featuring himself completing a 100-chip challenge earlier this month. He informed the Associated Press that he had spent over 20 years training his spice tolerance. “Most people you see on social media — with any challenges — don’t understand the consequences,” he said. Trier believes that individuals under 18 should not be allowed to participate in spicy challenges without adult supervision because they might not know how to handle the intense reactions or the peer pressure that can lead them to take risks without fully comprehending them. Although the chip was still available for purchase in some stores as of Thursday, it had disappeared from the shelves of major retailers such as 7-Eleven and Walgreens by Friday. Amazon stopped selling the chip and notified recent customers that Paqui was removing it. eBay mentioned that it was blocking One Chip Challenge listings. Sales of the chip appear to be primarily driven by individuals posting videos on social media of themselves or their friends taking the challenge. These videos showcase people, including children, opening the packaging, eating the chips, and then reacting to the heat. Some videos feature people gagging, coughing, and pleading for water. Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, Google, the owner of YouTube, and TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding whether they were taking any action. Texas-based company Paqui, a subsidiary of The Hershey Company, expressed deep sadness about Wolobah’s death in a statement on its website on Thursday. “We have observed an increase in teenagers and other individuals disregarding these warnings,” the company said. “As a result, while the product continues to adhere to food safety standards, we are actively working with retailers to remove the product from shelves.” Approximately 100 individuals, including many of Wolobah’s friends and teammates, attended the vigil at a park in Worcester. They lit candles, shared stories, and enjoyed pizza. Large photos of the dread-locked teen were displayed on a statue, surrounded by gold letters spelling his name and blue and white balloons. Miniature basketballs were distributed. The most emotional moment occurred when Wolobah’s mother, Lois, approached her son’s photo, gazed up at it, and called out his name several times while sobbing. At one point, she nearly collapsed and had to be supported by other family members as a relative addressed the crowd. “I look around and see a community united by candlelight, love, and the memory of our brother, our son, our nephew Harris,” said his cousin Valerie Richardson. “Harris had this ability to bring people together. I can’t think of a better way to honor him than what we are doing right here, right now.” Massachusetts authorities released a warning to parents about the challenge, while physicians cautioned that eating such spicy foods can lead to unintended consequences. “You can experience very mild symptoms, like burning or tingling of the lips and mouth, but you can also experience more severe symptoms,” said Dr. Lauren Rice, Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. Dr. Peter Chai, an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Medical Toxicology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, stated that the chips can be dangerous under certain circumstances. “It’s possible that consuming these chips with a high concentration of capsaicin could result in death,” Chai said, referring to the component in chili peppers that creates their heat. “It would depend on the amount of capsaicin that an individual was exposed to. At high doses, it can lead to fatal dysrhythmia or irreversible damage to the heart.” ___ Associated Press reporters Rodrique Ngowe, Haleluya Hadero in Jersey City, New Jersey, Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit, and Trisha Ahmed in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

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