'Jolrin Chicken' Made by Pouring Green Cold Syrup on Chicken Breast, Video Challenge
Inhalation of Steam During Cooking Causes Lung Damage
Recently in the United States, as a challenge of cooking with the cold medicine 'NyQuil' spread mainly on TikTok, the FDA issued a warning. Photo by Getty Images
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Chicken breast dish made by pouring green cold medicine syrup? Both the taste and color are unappealing, but the bigger problem is that it can cause drug abuse and lung damage.
Recently in the United States, as this bizarre dish became popular as one of the TikTok challenges, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning expressing concern.
The cold medicine called 'NyQuil' used in the dish is an over-the-counter drug easily purchased at supermarkets or drugstores without a prescription and is one of the most famous cold medicines in the U.S. Its main ingredients include acetaminophen, a pain reliever and fever reducer; antihistamines; doxylamine succinate, a sleep aid; and dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant. In Korea, dextromethorphan is classified as a psychotropic drug.
In the TikTok challenge, syrup-form NyQuil is used in cooking. The syrup is poured generously over chicken breast and simmered or baked in a pan or oven. Videos of these dishes are posted with the hashtag #졸린치킨 (Sleepy chicken).
Participants in the challenge expect that eating this food will help them sleep deeply as if they had taken cold medicine or sleeping pills, hence the name 'Sleepy' in the challenge. However, since this involves arbitrary use of drugs, it cannot be dismissed as just a challenge to sleep well.
Accordingly, the FDA has also issued warnings about the dangers of this challenge.
According to the FDA, over-the-counter drugs are easily accessible in many households, so misuse of these drugs can cause significant risks.
Another problem is that cooking with cold medicine can cause lung damage.
The FDA stated, "Even if you do not eat the chicken, inhaling the drug vapors during cooking can introduce high levels of the drug into the body, potentially damaging the lungs. In other words, someone may unknowingly consume a dangerous amount of cough and cold medicine," and warned, "Particular caution is required to keep these out of reach of children."
Furthermore, NyQuil’s Twitter account posted a message saying, "We oppose the improper use of our products. Do not try these recipes."
Meanwhile, this is not the first TikTok challenge involving drugs.
In the 2020 TikTok challenge, many teenagers were hospitalized or died after being encouraged to take large amounts of diphenhydramine (brand name Benadryl), an allergy medication, to induce hallucinations. At that time, the FDA also warned the public about the dangers of high-dose diphenhydramine use.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
