Yes, people really are eating Tide Pods in SC

Two S.C. residents intentionally have eaten liquid laundry detergent pods over the past month as part of an internet craze sweeping the country.

If you haven’t heard of the Tide Pod Challenge, you probably are shocked anyone would do such a thing on purpose. If you have, you might be relieved the number isn’t higher.

“I couldn’t believe it when I first heard about it, that people are intentionally ingesting concentrated soap,” said Jill Michaels, executive director of the Palmetto Poison Center at the University of South Carolina’s College of Pharmacy. “There’s a big danger with that. This isn’t a toy. It can be very toxic.”

The new trend stems from a satirical obsession with wanting to eat the internet’s “forbidden fruit” – colorful laundry detergent pods that look like candy but are poisonous.

Each year, thousands of toddlers and children across the country mistake the detergent packets for candy, ingesting them to the horror of parents who stepped away for just a moment or two.

But sometime last month, teens on social media began plopping Tide Pods into their mouths and filming their own reactions as the packs dissolved and colorful detergent gushed out. (YouTube and Facebook recently have vowed to delete any new videos in an effort to discourage the stunt).

Since the new year, 131 teenagers across the country intentionally have exposed themselves to the detergent packs, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. That’s up from 54 during all of last year and 39 in 2016.

This, almost everyone agrees, is a bad idea – perhaps the worst of a long string of internet stunts that includes the “cinnamon challenge” and the “milk gallon challenge.”

Health officials have warned that swallowing the pods’ detergent can cause diarrhea, vomiting and breathing difficulties – or worse for people with underlying medical conditions. It can be deadly for young children.

Tide, itself, is pleading for people not to eat its detergent. The company recently filmed a video campaign with NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski, with the New England Patriots star asking: “What the heck is going on, people? Use Tide Pods for washing, not eating.”

The two S.C. residents who intentionally ate detergent pods ended up OK after getting medical treatment, Michaels said. But, she said, that shouldn’t encourage the next wannabe viral star.

“People shouldn’t do this at all. It’s not a joke,” Michaels said. “You could really harm yourself.”

▪ If you or someone you know has eaten a laundry detergent pod, call the national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222.

This story was originally published January 29, 2018 at 10:16 AM with the headline "Yes, people really are eating Tide Pods in SC."