TAMPA, FL. (WFLA) — Retailers are taking action after the dangerous tide pod challenge took over social media.
The trend has been sweeping the web since late 2017, showing teens attempting to eat laundry pods in any way possible, including putting them on pizza, creating an “edible” recipes and just breaking them open to slurp up the liquid inside.
The harmful fad forced the American Association of Poison Control Centers to issue a national alert warning people of the inevitable dangers of ingesting such chemicals.
Now, several retailers including Walmart, Walgreens, and grocery chains like Ralph’s and Food 4 Less have locked up Tide Pods in plastic blocks or behind glass doors
Look at what you animals have done. They’ve locked up the Tide Pods. pic.twitter.com/skQlcpkoyQ— Nick (@StrenuousOrb) January 15, 2018
Reportedly, the “forbidden fruit” is being stolen from shelves forcing stores to lock them up.
Even Tide is running multiple PSAs on social media trying to deter folks from harming themselves.
What should Tide PODs be used for? DOING LAUNDRY. Nothing else.
Eating a Tide POD is a BAD IDEA, and we asked our friend @robgronkowski to help explain. pic.twitter.com/0JnFdhnsWZ— Tide (@tide) January 12, 2018
Officials say at least 10 deaths have been linked to detergent pods in recent months.
In the state of Florida, household cleaning substances were the second-leading cause of poisoning, and analgesics were the top cause in 2016, according to Florida’s Poison Control Centers.
