NATIONWIDE — Are teens not getting enough food these days? A new social media trend is causing health concerns: ingesting laundry detergent pods.
The “Tide Pod Challenge" shows a number of online photos depicting the laundry pods as a pizza topping or breakfast cereal. Videos are being posted of people biting into the detergent pacs and spitting them out.
The packets can cause vomiting, throat burns and eye injuries, among other issues.
College Humor posted a video about eating laundry pods in March 2017. The end of the video shows a guy consuming a bowl of pods before being ushered off by an ambulance saying, "I don't regret it."
Tide’s statement:
“Our laundry pacs are a highly concentrated detergent meant to clean clothes, and they're used safely in millions of households every day. They should be only used to clean clothes and kept up, closed and away from children.”
"We have seen no indication of an increase of cases seeking medical treatment amongst infants and teenagers associated with the recent uptick in social media conversation or in consumer calls.”
Tide has a page on its website dedicated to safe handling of its products, advising consumers to drink a glass of water or milk if a product is swallowed and call for help. If you or someone you know has eaten a laundry detergent pod, call the national poison help hotline at 1-800-222-1222 or text POISON to 797979 to save the number in your phone.
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