Tide pod challenge is a dangerous new craze that sees teens risk serious illness by eating washing machine tablets
The highly-concentrated liquid pods are designed to be used to wash clothes and can be fatal if ingested
DOCTORS have urged teenagers not to take part in the dangerous ‘Tide Pod Challenge’ that has swept the internet or risk becoming seriously ill.
The new craze that has swept the internet sees young people gorging on the colourful capsules that are generally used to wash clothes.
Hundreds of videos began popping up online over the past year showing teens popping the detergent pods into their mouths, drinking the liquid and even cooking with them.
The appeal of the unusual trend is believed to be purely aesthetic.
Many brands of washing capsules, especially Tide ones, are filled with colourful liquids making the pouches resemble sweets.
Speaking to Buzzfeed, one teenager said she heard about the craze on a Whatsapp group and decided to record herself biting into one before settling down for her evening meal.
The video was shared on Twitter but the teenager’s mother ordered her to remove it.
She said: “I wasn't scared because I knew I wasn't going to swallow it.
“Just bite into it. And I washed my mouth out for quite some time afterwards."
The incredibly dangerous stunt was once just a source of satire in The Onion.
In 2015 the site published a mock story from the perspective of a child who wanted to eat a blue and red detergent pod.
What happens when you eat detergent pods?
Ingesting these pods can cause nausea, vomiting, coughing, choking, breathing trouble and stomach pain.
Soap poisoning can also affect blood pressure and cause the heart rate to drop rapidly.
This could lead to the failure of vital organs and the heart collapsing.
Bursting the outer membrane of the pods can also lead to mouth, skin and eye irritation as well as painful rashes and burns.
Today, worried doctors, parents and even manufacturers are pleading with impressionable youngsters to stop eating the laundry liquid.
The substances inside these pods are highly poisonous and pose serious health risks if they are ingested.
Even a small amount of the highly-concentrated liquid detergent can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and breathing difficulties.
At their worst, they can even lead to death.
Manufacturer Tide has launched a page on its website dedicated to the safe handling of its products.
The company advises consumers to drink a glass of milk or water if the product is swallowed and immediately call for medical help.
In a statement, the company said: “Our laundry pacs are a highly concentrated detergent meant to clean clothes … They should not be played with, whatever the circumstance is, even if meant as a joke.”
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