Teens who bite into laundry pods and post the videos online as part of the "challenge" can end up with permanent damage to their esophagus, warns Sandhya Katz, M.D., an attending physician in the Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Nyack Hospital.
The ingredients in laundry pods can also cause seizures, fluid in the lungs, respiratory arrest, coma or death, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. This is just the newest in a series of video challenges popular among teens. Before laundry pods, the "Cinnamon Challenge" sent many teens to emergency rooms with burning in the airways, nosebleeds, vomiting or difficulty breathing.
Dr. Katz also sees teens in Nyack Hospital’s emergency room who have been “robotripping” — drinking large amounts of Robotussin or other brands of cough syrup to get high. While cough syrup is safe when taken as recommended, high doses can cause hallucinogenic trips, and has the potential to be very dangerous, or even fatal.
“Teens have always been up for dares, but now with social media, the risk-taking is magnified,” said Dr. Katz. Most of the teens Dr. Katz sees in the ER who have abused household products or over-the-counter medicines are ages 13 to 15. “That’s when they begin to experiment,” she said. “What is especially concerning is that some teens who start off with these household products may move on in later years to illicit drugs such as heroin.”
Dr. Katz encourages parents to catch risky behavior early by monitoring teens’ social media at least twice a week, but preferably daily, until they are 16 or 17. “It’s also important to know who your teen’s friends are. Know who they’re hanging out with in your basement, in school and after school,” she said.
Young teens who are the most vulnerable are usually shy and have low-self esteem, according to Dr. Katz. “If your teen has a sudden change in behavior — if, for instance, they were outgoing and have suddenly become more withdrawn — ask them what’s going on. Parents should always be on the lookout for secretive behavior, [like] when a teen starts closing their door or spends a lot of time in the garage,” she said. Don’t confront them though. Instead, ask open-ended questions and do a lot of listening.
Boosting a teen’s self-esteem can also go a long way, Dr. Katz explained. “So many times, a teen will get into something risky because they feel bad about themselves,” she said. “Take the time to validate them. Let them know you care, offer empathy and compassion, and give them plenty of praise. If they feel better about themselves, they may be less likely to do risky and destructive things to try to get other people to like them.”