The Food and Drug Administration is warning against a recent TikTok challenge that recommended cooking chicken in a popular over-the-counter cold medicine.
In a warning published last week, the FDA urged the public to avoid participating in the dangerous “NyQuil Chicken Challenge,” which has gained legs after a video went viral in which someone fried two chicken breasts in a generic version of the distinctly colored substance.
“One social media trend relying on peer pressure is online video clips of people misusing nonprescription medications and encouraging viewers to do so too. These video challenges, which often target youths, can harm people—and even cause death,” the FDA said.
“Boiling a medication can make it much more concentrated and change its properties in other ways. Even if you don’t eat the chicken, inhaling the medication’s vapors while cooking could cause high levels of the drugs to enter your body. It could also hurt your lungs,” continued the remarks.
The FDA went on to remind the public that even without eating the NyQuil-soaked chicken, a risk is posed from inhaling dangerous levels of acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, and doxylamine.
“Put simply: Someone could take a dangerously high amount of the cough and cold medicine without even realizing it,” the warning stated.
