In the latest ridiculous teen craze, kids are ingesting chilli peppers that are so spicy, they’re used in tear gas by the Indian military.
I didn’t think peer pressure could be so strong, but about 40 U.S. children aged 11 to 14 reportedly downed the notorious ghost chillis (aka. the Bhut Jolokia pepper) on their lunch break, and five of them had to be rushed to hospital.
Metro reports that emergency services rushed to Milton-Union Middle School in Ohio after children were suffering from blotchy skin, rashes, tearing of eyes, sweating, and general discomfort.
The Bhut Jolokia pepper was previously declared the hottest in the world and has a Scoville rating of over one million units – more than 100 times stronger than Tabasco sauce.
Even this chilli farmer couldn’t handle the wicked ghost pepper:
The school have identified the ‘zing’ leader of the group who brought the chillis in, but it’s not yet been decided if they will be disciplined.
Pupil Cody Schmidt became really nervous after trying one of the potent peppers because people around him started having allergic reactions.
Pam Bucaro, clinical nurse specialist in the emergency room at Dayton Children’s Hospital, said:
Kids will be kids, and sometimes they do challenges and dare each other to do things.
These are not games and there can be serious effects when ingesting things.’
I mean, I remember perilously popping a toxic waste sweet once but I think that was the extent of my lunchtime adventures… obviously, kids are a lot ‘arder in Ohio.
It could have been worse though – at least they didn’t pop the world’s hottest chilli pepper, the Carolina Reaper, which can you can actually buy in supermarkets!
