DRACUT, Mass. — Police in Massachusetts are warning parents and teachers of a new social media trend that involves students chewing on pieces of dangerously hot gum.
The trending Tik Tok phenomena that asks participants if they “have what it takes to blow just one bubble” with a piece of chewing gum that contains the same active ingredient as police pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum, according to the Dracut Police Department.
In a Facebook post, the department shared a photo of “Trouble Bubble” packaging that includes the text, “TAKE THE TROUBLE BUBBLE CHALLENGE.”
The gum challenges chewers to “try to blow the biggest bubble that you can without spiting anything out.”
Trouble Bubble contains 16 million Scoville heat units -- the equivalent of pure capsaicin. For comparison, Carolina Reaper peppers contain 2.2 million Scoville heat units.
“Anyone found to have used the gum should be treated for extensive exposure to oleoresin capsicum,” police warned.
Trouble Bubble is currently available for purchase on Amazon and other vendors.
On Monday, more than a half-dozen Orange elementary school students were transported to local hospitals after they either ate or touched a spicy gum product brought in by a classmate, according to officials.
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