'Sleepy Chicken' Tik Tok challenge, FDA warns against cooking chicken with NyQuil
HOUSTON - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a new warning against the latest Tik Tok Challenge where users are cooking chicken with NyQuil.
For those we spoke with around Houston, they haven’t heard of the new challenge. But nonetheless, like other challenges, they can't believe it’s a thing.
Dr. Noreen, the Tox Doc, spoke with FOX 26, echoing the FDA’s warning.
"The FDA put out a warning to not use NyQuil and other cough syrups as a marinade. It is potentially dangerous when you take any kind of cough medicine that is meant to be taken orally," says The Tox Doc.
The challenge shows users cooking chicken with NyQuil or the ingredients to make cough syrup. The FDA calls it a recipe for danger and social media peer pressure.
"It is a complete misuse of what the product it iss intended for. When you look at the kind of over the counter medication prescription medication, they always put that disclaimer to use as advised."
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'If you use it any other way, they can not be liable for the kind of danger that happens to you," says The Tox Doc. "That’s why you’ve got people ending up in the hospital, because they are eating this up, changing the chemistry of the cough medicine."
The Tox Doc says even though some doing the challenge may not be eating the mixture, it is still dangerous.
"When you start to heat up that cough syrup, it becomes very dangerous. You can breathe it in, and it affects the brain, especially the prefrontal cortex, which is not easily fully developed until people are in their 20s."
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The FDA also says by boiling the cough syrup it makes it much more concentrated and also can hurt your lungs.
"For me, it’s frightening because I know just how toxic it can be. This is terrifying and this is why people are in very serious situations in the hospital," says the Tox Doc.