Procter & Gamble said it’s working to stop the “Tide Pod challenge,” a social media-fueled trend in which teenagers eat single-load laundry detergent packets.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers warned last week it had seen a spike in teenagers eating the detergent pods, which it said can cause seizures, respiratory arrest and even death.
CEO David Taylor called the trend “dangerous” and “extremely concerning” in an online post Monday. He said the company is working with social media companies to remove videos of people biting into the detergent, and asked adults to speak with children about the hazards.
“Let them know that their life and health matter more than clicks, views and likes,” Taylor said.
FILE – In this Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, file photo, Procter & Gamble CEO David Taylor answers questions at a news conference following P&G’s shareholder vote, in Cincinnati. P&G says it’s working to stop the “Tide Pod challenge,” a social media-fueled trend in which teenagers eat single-load laundry detergent packets. Taylor called the trend “dangerous” and “extremely concerning” in a blog post Monday, Jan. 23, 2018. (Kareem Elgazzar/The Cincinnati Enquirer via AP, File)
FILE – This Thursday, July 9, 2015, file photo, shows a Proctor & Gamble sign outside the company’s corporate headquarters complex in downtown Cincinnati. The Procter & Gamble Co. reports earnings, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)In the first 15 days of the year, poison control centers said they have handled 39 cases of intentional misuse among 13 to 19 year olds. Poison control centers handled 53 such cases for all of last year.