TREUTLEN COUNTY, Ga. — The "One Chip Challenge" is a new nationwide social media trend.
Mostly found on TikTok, it involves eating a chip made with two of the hottest peppers in the world.
Side effects may include, general discomfort, sweating, and vomiting.
In stores, these chips are sold with a warning label saying to "keep out of reach of children."
States like California, Texas, and Alabama, have seen hospitalizations due to the chip.
The trend has made its way to Central Georgia at Treutlen middle and high schools.
"I've seen the hot chip challenge on several social media platforms," says Ron Baker.
Baker is a parent of a Treutlen student. He says as a parent he finds the new trend concerning.
So hot you only need one, the Paqui One Chip Challenge Chips are made with reaper and scorpion peppers.
"The premise is to basically check your pain threshold," adds Baker.
Although he wont be participating in the challenge, he understands why some kids are.
"Being from the area, I understand that the outlets for the young kids is limited, so they do turn to these challenges sometimes just for a status," Baker says.
Oftentimes, he says they don't know what they're getting involved with.
He says, "They really don't see the consequences of participating in these challenges. They see the success stories, but the failures are never captured on social media."
Treutlen Middle and High School Principal, Brandon Tucker says nearly 20 students have missed class because they became ill.
"I had one in my office a couple days ago, they were really red in the face...as they were explaining what was happening it was tough for them to get it out because they were panting, crying," he adds.
They are now asking for parent to help prevent kids from bringing the chips to school and having to miss class.
"Social media is not a negative thing per se, but their needs to be a lot of oversight and parents need to be aware that this is happening," Tucker says.
Baker says that doesn't just go for this challenge but for all.
"Not saying that you have to just hover over, but just be aware of what their doing, and what their looking at, and kind of monitor and put some boundaries up," says Baker.
Principal Tucker says the One Chip Challenge could cause hospitalizations for kids with respiratory or other gastrointestinal conditions, although they haven't seen that happen yet.
Other Central Georgia districts say they have not seen this challenge in their schools yet.
Tucker encourages all students and parents to be on the look out for that coffin-shaped box.