A teenage boy from Massachusetts who took part in a viral food challenge has tragically passed away, and his family has decided to sue.
On September 1, 2023, a student at Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester named Harris Wolobah (14) died away after consuming a hot tortilla chip.
Paqui, the firm responsible for the One Chip Challenge, packages a single chip in each coffin-shaped container. These chips are supposedly the spiciest on the planet.
Douglas Sheff, an attorney representing the family, has sued Hershey Co., Paqui, and Walgreens over the One Chip Challenge, stating that the businesses were negligent in causing the incident. Despite the product’s “adults only” label, it was sold to children.
The product was removed from stores, and a statement was released by the maker expressing sympathy to Harris Wolobah’s family and friends after his death.
Despite warnings that Paqui’s One Chip Challenge was solely for adults, stories surfaced of teenagers buying them. The One Chip Challenge ended in September 2023 after the corporation collaborated with merchants who chose to remove the product from shelves.
After eating the chip at school, Wolobah started to feel sick and went to the nurse’s office. After Wolobah informed his mother that a fellow student had given him the chip, she went to pick him up. On the way home, the teenager seemed to be doing better.
His family discovered him unconscious later that day and immediately contacted emergency services. He was found to be not breathing when the paramedics came.
After being taken to a nearby hospital, the adolescent was pronounced dead.
The chip contains capsaicin, a chemical present in chili peppers, as stated on Poison.org. While capsaicin is most well known to irritate the mouth and throat, it also has the potential to trigger heart attacks and damage to the esophagus. According to the website, capsaicin can cause a variety of unpleasant side effects, including gastrointestinal distress, burning sensations in the mouth, and even heart palpitations. The site warned that this is why capsaicin-containing meals and products should be used with care.
The autopsy on Wolobah showed that he had a congenital cardiac condition and an enlarged heart, both of which might have been worsened by the spices, which could have contributed to his demise.
