ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – The Roanoke County Police Department is sounding the alarm about a new TikTok challenge.
It’s called the “Trouble Bubble” challenge, where users try to blow a bubble with gum containing oleoresin capsicum, the same ingredient used in police pepper spray. The gum also has a 16 million Scoville Heat Unit rating, which is the equivalent of the pure capsaicin pepper, the hottest pepper in the world.
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Authorities say the challenge sent 10 students from a Massachusetts elementary school to the hospital.
The school superintendent says immediately after the students ate the gum, their mouths and throats began to burn and their stomachs hurt. Some even had trouble breathing, according to officials.
They say the gum caused skin reactions and eye irritation for some students who didn’t eat it but touched it with their fingers or rubbed their eyes.
If your child has used the gum, police say they will need to be treated for extensive exposure to oleoresin capsicum. They are advised to rinse their mouths out with water as many times as possible. If they have swallowed it, they will need to be transported to an emergency room.
Roanoke County police want parents to be on the lookout for the gum and speak to their kids about the dangers of eating it.
