FDA asks TikTok users to stop cooking chicken in Nyquil in response to the trend on the social media platform. It is kind of hard to believe that this has to be said, but it just had to be said anyways.
FDA AsksTikTok Users to Stop Cooking Chicken in Nyquil
The US food and drug administration is at the moment taking very seriously a trend that’s bizarre. It may look like coking up raw chicken in cough syrup is something of a nightmare, but videos currently making the round and encouraging people to do just that are appearing on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. And just last week, the FDA issued a warning over the misusage of medicines that are inspired by videos on social media. TikTok on its own part has condemned the Nyquil videos.
What is This Nyquil Drug?
Nyquil which is an over-the-counter cough and cold medication is made up of a combination of doxylamine, dextromethorphan, and acetaminophen in treating a host of symptoms. And that being said, it is not to be confused with a marinade.
The FDA has labeled the Nyquil challenge ‘silly and unappetizing,’ and also laid out the reasons why it is such a bad idea. “Boiling a medication can make it much more concentrated and change its properties in other ways,” the FDA said. “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.”
TikTok is Well Aware of the Videos and Has Warned Users About the Trend
TikTok is well aware of the videos making the rounds on the internet and its platform. And one very user made a remix of a video showing a person cooking chicken on a stove top and then pouring the green content of a Nyquil bottle on it. The social media platform had placed a warning at the bottom of the video saying, “Participating in this activity could result in you or others getting hurt.”
“Content that promotes dangerous behavior has no place on TikTok. This is not trending on our platform, but we will remove content if found and strongly discourage anyone from engaging in behavior that may be harmful to themselves or others,” a spokesperson from TikTok told CNET.
Searching for ‘Nyquil Chicken’ on TikTok
Making a search for the keyword ‘Nyquil chicken’ on TikTok will generate a link to a guide on assessing online challenges that request users to stop and have a think about what they have seen and also report the challenges that may be harmful.
The main origin of the Nyquil chicken recipe is still very much unclear, as is the purpose. The site Know Your Meme, which is responsible for tracking online trends, suggests that it first appeared back in 2017 and has also been called a different name of Sleepy Chicken.
Other Harmful Social Media trends in the past
And although many social media trends are harmless fun, there have been dangerous trends before, such as with the social media-spread “blackout challenge,” which at the time encouraged people to choke themselves and is suspected of causing the deaths of two children.
The FDA in response to the Nyquil challenge has offered guidance for parents and this is including more general advice on keeping medications away from the reach of kids and to also openly discuss the dangers associated with drugs and trends on social media.
