Family of teen who died in ‘One Chip Challenge’ Sue

BOSTON (AP) — A lawsuit was filed Thursday in the case of a Massachusetts teenager who died after participating in a spicy tortilla chip challenge on social media.

Harris Wolobah, a 10th grader from the city of Worcester, died on September 1, 2023, after eating the Paqui chip as part of the manufacturer’s ‘One Chip Challenge’. An autopsy revealed that Wolobah died after eating a large amount of chili pepper extract and that he also had a congenital heart defect.

Harris died of cardiac arrest “in the context of recent ingestion of foods with a high concentration of capsaicin,” according to the autopsy from the chief medical examiner’s office. Capsaicin is the compound that gives chili peppers their heat.

The autopsy also revealed that Harris had cardiomegaly, meaning an enlarged heart, and a congenital defect described as “myocardial bypassing of the left anterior descending coronary artery.”

Paqui, a Texas-based subsidiary of Hershey Co., expressed sadness over Wolobah’s death but also cited the chip’s “clear and prominent labeling, which emphasized that the product was not intended for children or for anyone sensitive is for spicy foods or for underlying health conditions.”

The Paqui chip, sold individually for about $10, was foil-wrapped in a coffin-shaped box with a warning that it was for the “vengeful pleasure of intense heat and pain.” The warning stated that the chip was for adults only and should be kept out of the reach of children.

Despite the warning, children had no problem buying the chips, and there had been reports from across the country of teenagers becoming ill after taking part in the chip-eating challenge. They included three high school students from California who were taken to a hospital and seven college students in Minnesota who were treated by paramedics after participating in the 2022 challenge.

The challenge called for participants to eat the Paqui chip and then see how long they could last without consuming other food and water. Sales of the chip appeared to be driven largely by people posting videos on social media of themselves or their friends taking on the challenge. They had people, including children, unwrap the packaging, eat the chips and then react to the heat. Some videos showed people gagging, coughing and begging for water.

Harris’ death prompted warnings from Massachusetts authorities and doctors, who warned that eating such spicy foods could have unintended consequences. Since the rise of the chip craze, poison control centers have warned that the concentrated amount can cause allergic reactions, breathing problems, irregular heartbeats and even heart attacks or strokes.