A viral challenges that has recently emerged has left middle school students in Holliston, Massachusetts, in physical distress and parents alarmed. The so-called “One Chip Challenge” involves consuming an intensely spicy tortilla chip, a seemingly innocuous task that put ten students from the Robert Adams Middle School in enough distress to send them away from school, raising concerns among officials and parents alike.
While the investigation into the cause of the teenager’s death in Worcester continues, the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office would like to remind parents to research and discuss with your children about the one-chip challenge.
— Joseph D. Early Jr. (@worcesterda) September 6, 2023
Principal David Jordan said these students partook in the challenge during seventh-grade lunch break, and the consequences were immediately visible. Students experienced symptoms of physical distress, requiring monitoring by nursing staff and the involvement of families. As reported by NBC Boston, the school nurse even recommended the students go to the emergency room.
The chip's creator, Paqui, has since pulled its product from store shelves as a result of this reaction. However, these students were not the first to face the potentially life-threatening consequences of the challenge. Earlier this month, a Worcester teenager died in a case linked to the One Chip Challenge; the matter is under investigation. According to Boston 25 News, in response to the teenager's death, Paqui stated, "The Paqui ‘One Chip Challenge’ is intended for adults only… We have seen an increase in teens and other individuals not heeding these warnings."
Another CBS Boston article further reported Paqui's request for stores and websites to cease selling the chips. Superintendent Dr. Susan Kustka asked students not to bring the chips to school while voicing her concerns over the impact of social media challenges on these incidents.
