Top 10 Viral Challenges that Killed People

Benadryl Challenge

This dangerous trend involved consuming excessive amounts of the allergy medication Benadryl to induce hallucinations. The high dosages led to serious health complications including heart problems, seizures, and in some cases death. The challenge gained attention because of the severe medical outcomes associated with misuse of the medication.

Ice Bucket Challenge

Originally intended to promote awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), participants would dump a bucket of ice water over themselves. While the challenge had charitable intentions, there were isolated incidents where individuals sustained fatal injuries due to the improper handling of heavy containers or by attempting the challenge in unsafe environments.

Hot Water Challenge

This perilous trend involved pouring boiling water on oneself or another person or drinking it through a straw. The scalding water caused severe burns and injuries, leading to hospitalizations and in some tragic cases fatalities. The challenge was widely condemned for its obvious dangers.

The hot water caused severe burns and injuries.

Blackout Challenge

Also known as the Choking Game, this challenge involves cutting off oxygen to the brain to achieve a high, often using nooses or similar tools. It has led to numerous accidental deaths due to asphyxiation, highlighting the extreme risks associated with oxygen deprivation. Variations of this activity have been documented for decades, often circulating among adolescents.

Chroming Challenge

In this hazardous activity, individuals inhale fumes from aerosol sprays to achieve a high. This inhalation can lead to a lack of oxygen in the brain, causing serious health issues like brain damage and even death. Inhalant abuse has long been known to carry extreme risks, especially among younger participants.

Happy Slapping Challenge

This disturbing trend involves assaulting someone, often a stranger, and recording the attack for online sharing. The assaults can range from mild slaps to serious physical violence, leading in some instances to grave injuries and fatalities. This challenge has been widely criticized for its encouragement of unprovoked violence.

With luck, some of the individuals who attempt to do this to innocent people will make the mistake of targeting someone who is armed and will end up being the fatalities themselves.

Planking Challenge

Planking involves lying face down in unusual and sometimes dangerous locations, often photographed for social media. While mostly harmless, there have been instances where participants fatally injured themselves by choosing extremely risky locations like balconies or high ledges. The trend saw widespread popularity in the early 2010s as people attempted increasingly hazardous stunts.

This challenge cost the lives of numerous people, such as an Australian who fell off a building while attempting it.

Neknominating Challenge

This involves nominating friends to drink large quantities of alcohol in a short time, often combined with performing a dare. The challenge has resulted in alcohol poisoning and deaths due to the excessive and rapid consumption of alcohol. The trend began in Australia around 2013 and quickly spread worldwide.

One Chip Challenge

In this challenge, participants eat a tortilla chip coated with extremely spicy seasoning, often causing severe reactions. There have been instances of hospitalization due to respiratory and gastrointestinal distress, and in rare cases it has been linked to fatalities, especially in individuals with pre-existing health conditions.

This involved people eating a tortilla chip with extremely spicy seasoning. Many individuals couldn't tolerate it and ended up burning themselves.

Blue Whale Challenge

This challenge involved a series of 50 tasks over 50 consecutive days, requiring self-harm and suicide, based on the game of the same name.

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Helium Challenge

While it seems funny to some to inhale helium (resulting in pitched-up voices), it leads to a lack of oxygen in the lungs and brain, increasing the risk of health complications including respiratory failure and fatalities.

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Hot Pepper Challenge

This challenge led to people eating peppers with high Scoville units, resulting in severe effects, especially in individuals with pre-existing conditions that could be fatal. There have been hospitalizations among these individuals. Peppers, like many things, are meant for healthy people.

Skull Breaker Challenge

This challenge occurred when three people lined up. The person in the center jumped in the air, and the other two on the sides kicked the jumper's legs from underneath. This was a trend on TikTok.

Car Surfing Challenge

This extremely dangerous activity involves riding on the exterior of a moving vehicle, imitating surfing. Numerous participants have suffered critical injuries or death from falling off the vehicle, often at high speeds. Car surfing has been reported since the 1980s and continues to result in preventable tragedies.