Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
An autopsy has revealed that a US teenager died of cardiac arrest after taking part in a social media challenge that dared people to eat an extremely spicy tortilla chip.
Fourteen-year-old Harris Wolobah died last year after taking part in the “One Chip Challenge”. This involved eating a Paqui snack that was dusted with extremely spicy peppers.
The local chief medical examiner determined that Harris died of cardiac arrest after eating a large amount of a chilli pepper extract called capsaicin. The autopsy also concluded that the teen had an enlarged heart. This could have contributed to his death.
After his death, Paqui removed the product from stores. It was packaged in a coffin-shaped box with a red skull and marked “extreme heat”.
In California, three youths were hospitalised after taking part in the challenge.
