Family sues Hershey and Walgreens after teen dies from viral chip challenge

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A Massachusetts family has filed a lawsuit against Hershey, Walgreens, and others after their son, Harris Wolobah, died from participating in the viral "One Chip Challenge."

Harris, a 10th grader from Worcester, died on Sept. 1, 2023, after eating the Paqui chip, which contains a high concentration of chile pepper extract. An autopsy revealed he had a congenital heart defect.

Harris Wolobah died of cardiopulmonary arrest due to consuming a food substance with high capsaicin concentration, the Chief Office of the Medical Examiner reported. Capsaicin is the compound that makes chile peppers hot. The autopsy also noted Wolobah had cardiomegaly, an enlarged heart, and a congenital defect known as myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

Douglas Sheff, an attorney representing the Wolobah family, announced the wrongful death lawsuit at a news conference, seeking punitive damages.

Sheff accused the parties involved of creating a "perfect storm" leading to Harris's death, alleging Paqui produced the spicy chip and encouraged social media promotion, while Walgreens sold the chip to children.

The dangers of the One Chip Challenge

The lawsuit highlights that the defendants charged $10 for each chip, describing the product as unreasonably dangerous and targeted at children. Despite warnings on the packaging that the chip was not for children or those sensitive to spicy foods, reports surfaced of teens falling ill after participating in the challenge.

Paqui's response to the incident

Paqui, a subsidiary of Hershey Co., expressed sadness over Wolobah's death and emphasized the chip's labeling warned it was for adults only and not for children or those with health conditions.

Following incidents of illness, Paqui worked with retailers to voluntarily remove the product from shelves in September 2023, and the One Chip Challenge was discontinued.

Walgreens declined to comment on the lawsuit, and Hershey did not respond immediately. The lawsuit aims to seek justice for the Wolobah family and serve as a warning to those endangering children.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. It was reported from Los Angeles.