The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued yet another stern warning to address a disturbing trend among teens.
CNN reports that a new challenge on social media encourages participants to cook chicken in a mixture of acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, and doxylamine. The trio of ingredients can be found in NyQuil and other over-the-counter cold medicines.
According to the FDA, by simply heating up the medication you're putting yourself at risk due to the harmful vapors that are emitted.
“The challenge sounds silly and unappetizing—and it is. But it could also be very unsafe. Boiling a medication can make it much more concentrated and change its properties in other ways,” the FDA writes. “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.”
To help combat this most recent challenge and other dangerous social media trends involving OTC and prescription drugs, the FDA has provided some tips for parents. They recommend locking up medications and also having serious conversations with children and teens.
"Sit down with your children and discuss the dangers of misusing drugs and how social media trends can lead to real, sometimes irreversible, damage. Remind your children that overdoses can occur with OTC drugs as well as with prescription drugs," the FDA shared.
The organization also advises that you call 911 if you believe your child has taken too much medication and is hallucinating or is showing other signs of drug misuse.
