Teen dies after trying viral 'One Chip Challenge'

The famous “One Chip Challenge” is making headlines after it was tied to a teenager’s death.

14-year-old Harris Wolobah, from Worcester in Massachusetts, died last year after eating a Paqui chip as part of the manufacturer’s One Chip Challenge.

On Sept. 1, Harris was found unresponsive by police after eating a corn chip dusted in Carolina Reaper pepper and Naga Viper pepper, as part of a social media “One Chip Challenge”.

The challenge, popular on social media, involved eating supposedly one of the spiciest tortilla chips in the world, then bearing the heat for as long as possible before eating or drinking something else for relief.

According to a May 2024 medical examiner’s report obtained by The New York Times, Harris Wolobah, 14, a sophomore at Doherty Memorial High School in Massachusetts, died of “cardiopulmonary arrest in the setting of recent ingestion of food substance with high capsaicin concentration.”

But the Chief Office of the Medical Examiner also found Harris had an enlarged heart and myocardial bridging.

In a statement after the autopsy was released, Paqui said they were “deeply saddened” by the teen’s death, and “extend our condolences to his family and friends”.

“We were and remain deeply saddened by the death of Harris Wolobah and extend our condolences to his family and friends,” the statement read. “Paqui’s One Chip Challenge was intended for adults only, with clear and prominent labeling highlighting that the product was not for children or anyone sensitive to spicy foods or with underlying health conditions. We saw increased reports of teens and other individuals not heeding these warnings.”