Remember that time people were eating spoonfuls of cinnamon, or setting themselves on fire?

Well, to continue with ridiculous and life-threatening social media challenges, online users have turned to Tide Pods.

I came across a pod at the end of December. I was intrigued and liked how soft they were in my hand, but I quickly put it down before any more harm came to it.

Because, in case you don’t know, a Tide Pod is a soft, colourful plastic capsule that is generally used to wash clothes.

To introduce you to what’s going down, let’s take a look at a compilation video.

Dubbing them “forbidden snacks” or “forbidden fruit”, here’s a taste:

Honestly, what is wrong with people?

The fad has become so bad that not only have experts “weighed in” by warning people to stop, but YouTube has banned videos on the subject. Even the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is pleading with the public to not eat laundry pods:

And now grocery stores are locking them up, reports Mashable:

Several stores including Walmart, Walgreens, Ralph’s, and Food 4 Less have locked up Tide Pods in plastic blocks or behind glass doors, according to recent social media reports. The protective measure comes as the Tide Pods internet challenge and meme hits peak stupidity.

Look:

Why should you not engage in such antics? Because eating the detergent can cause vomiting, loss of consciousness, cardiac arrest, and other very bad things.

Turns out this is nothing new: Tide Pods have been a concern for parents for years as children keep on mistaking them for candy:

 At least 10 deaths have been linked to detergent pods, according to CBS. Procter & Gamble, the makers of Tide, has warned against eating the pods since the government agency sounded the alarm.

“They should not be played with,” the Tide manufacturer said in a statement to CBS. “Even if meant as a joke. Safety is no laughing matter.”

Oh, the stupidity.

Rather, make your own edible pods if you’re so desperate to be cool:

[source:mashable]