Perhaps you recall the “life-threatening” Tide Pod challenge from 2018 in which participants were challenged to ingest the laundry detergent, something that resulted in numerous fatalities.
The current online trend, just as insane, looks to be even more dangerous. Those taking part have consumed borax, a laundry detergent and pesticide.
In TikTok videos, some people are seen “jumping on the borax train” by mixing the white powder into coffee or smoothies.
They believe this will reduce the symptoms of some ailments including lupus and arthritis.
According to Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a medical toxicology specialist and co-director at the National Capital Poison Center, borax is a poisonous compound that should never be eaten.
“Borax consumption has been recently popularized on TikTok as a way to treat inflammation, but … there is no evidence that swallowing borax has any human health benefits,” she said.
Borax has been used for years as a drain cleaner, pesticide, home cleaner, herbicide, and laundry additive. According to WebMD, it can also be found in various paints, acne treatments, and specialized oral care products. (When applied topically and not ingested, it may be safe.)
According to the National Institutes of Health, when borox is consumed it may result in vascular collapse, excitation, convulsions, rash, skin flushing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other symptoms.
Furthermore, poisoning from boric acid can result in headaches, hypothermia, agitation, fatigue, renal damage, dermatitis, alopecia, anorexia, and dyspepsia.
Many other TikTokers have expressed their surprise and outrage that folks would do such a thing to themselves. They warn them not to make such a foolish decision.
