Food - Drink
The FDA Just Sent Out A Warning Against A Food Social Media Trend
By GABRIELA IZQUIERDO
While social media trends are usually harmless and fun, sometimes they can veer into dangerous territory and hurt the people participating. The most recent food-based social media trend is a recipe for disaster, and the FDA has warned social media users not to try it.
“NyQuil Chicken” appeared earlier this year with a TikTok video in which the poster cooks chicken breasts in a pan full of NyQuil. Although it’s still unclear why anyone would think to cook chicken in NyQuil, most Reddit users think the original video was a joke. Unfortunately, the video recently resurfaced and has been met with such enthusiasm that the FDA has stepped in.
The FDA has discouraged the trend, warning that “boiling a medication can make it much more concentrated and change its properties in other ways.” According to the FDA, “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,” posing a threat to your lungs and causing you to overdose.
Teens are particularly susceptible to dangerous social media trends, as their prefrontal cortexes are not yet fully developed, making them more prone to impulsive actions. To discourage teens from participating, the FDA has advised keeping all medications, even over-the-counter ones, locked away, as well as talking with them about the dangers of food trends.