Massachusetts teen dies after 'One Chip Challenge,' social media fad involving spicy food

WORCESTER, Mass. − A Massachusetts teenager is dead after partaking in a popular social media challenge consuming a hot pepper chip, his family says.

Harris Wolobah was pronounced dead Friday at a local hospital after first responders found him unresponsive and not breathing at a home in west Worcester, Worcester Police Lt. Sean Murtha said. A medical examiner is investigating the cause of death.

In a GoFundMe post, Wolobah's family said the 14-year-old died "unexpectedly" from "what we suspect to be complications due to the 'one chip challenge.'" The post also says an autopsy is pending. The teen's sister, Aqualla Wolobah, declined to comment to USA TODAY when reached on Tuesday.

Wolobah's school district confirmed the teen's death in a statement on its website.

"It is with a heavy heart I share that we lost a rising star, Harris Wolobah, who was a sophomore scholar at Doherty Memorial High School," Superintendent Rachel Monárrez said in a statement.

Wolobah will be laid "to rest" in the coming weeks, his family said in the post.

"The pain our family is experiencing is unimaginable," the GoFundMe post states. "Harris was a light that lit up the room with his presence and subtle charm. He was an intelligent, quirky and incredibly talented young man."

The "One Chip Challenge" involves eating a corn chip sprinkled with a layer of Carolina Reaper pepper and Naga Viper pepper, according to Paqui, LLC, the company that makes the corn chips and advertises the "One Chip Challenge." The chip manufacturer's website states the peppers are considered some of the spiciest, adding a warning that they should be kept out of the reach of children and are "intended for adult consumption."

Representatives from Paqui, LLC, based in Austin, Texas, were not able to be reached for comment Tuesday.

Paqui chips can be purchased at gas stations, drug stores and some food retailers, according to the company website's store locator.

TikTok challenges turn deadly in recent years

Social media videos created and watched by young people have in recent years turned deadly, after the stunts involved consuming items not meant for consumption or pushing the human body to physical limits.

In 2021, children began dying after participating in TikTok "blackout" challenges after losing consciousness from lack of oxygen. The following year, parents in Wisconsin and Texas sued the social media platform over the deaths.

One lawsuit argued the platform showcased videos involving blackout challenges in prominent places on the app where users could watch the videos without having to search for them beforehand. The suit also argued TikTok failed to prevent children under age 13 from using the app, despite having user terms purporting to limit use to those 13 and older.

What is the One Chip Challenge?

In recent years, the brand Paqui has sold individually wrapped corn chips made with hot peppers and advertised the #OneChipChallenge, daring consumers to try to eat the chip and to see how long they can keep from eating or drinking anything else afterwards.

Videos posted to TikTok show young people and adults unwrapping the single triangle-shaped corn chip, which is covered in a layer of pepper, and challenging themselves to eat it. Some videos have upwards of 200,000 likes.

The chip company's homepage includes a label warning people with the following conditions not to eat the spicy chip:

• The chip is for adult consumption only and should be kept "out of reach of children," the company says.
• People sensitive to spicy foods or who are allergic to "peppers, night shades or capsaicin" should not eat the chip, the label says.
• The chip is not for pregnant people, the company warns.
• And the chip should not be consumed by anyone who has a medical condition, according to the warning.

Contributing: Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel