FDA Calls ‘Sleepy Chicken TikTok Challenge' Silly And Very Unsafe, Warns Against Misuse Of Cough Syrup

In Sept 2020, FDA had warned against a similar social media challenge involving another over-the-counter cough and cold medicine Benadryl. It says OTC drugs can pose significant risks if misused.

Representational photo of a chicken dish being cooked.

Source : Getty

A purported "TikTok challenge" asking people to cook chicken in a cough syrup has prompted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue a warning against the practice. A number of TikTok users were found to be taking up the "sleepy chicken" TikTok challenge that asked them to cook chicken in NyQuil, an over-the-counter cough and cold medicine that contains acetaminophen, dextromethorphan and doxylamine, according to the FDA.    

Calling the challenge not only “silly and unappetizing” but also “very unsafe”, the FDA notice dated September 15 said boiling a medicine could make it much more concentrated and also change its properties. “Even if you don’t eat the chicken, inhaling the medication’s vapors while cooking could cause high levels of the drugs to enter your body. It could also hurt your lungs,” the statement read. 

The FDA warned that someone could end up consuming a “dangerously high amount of the cough and cold medicine” without even realizing it”. 

OTC or non-prescription drugs are readily available in homes, which makes these social media challenges riskier, it said. “OTC drugs can pose significant risks if they’re misused or abused.”

While the warning has been issued in all seriousness, what is being referred to as the ‘Sleepy Chicken Challenge’ is not actually any real trend on TikTok, according to some reports. 

While it is not known as to where the phrase emerged from, no videos of people cooking chicken in the medicine pop up if you type and search 'Sleepy Chicken Challenge' on the video sharing app, reports said.

people aren't cooking chicken in Nyquil, it's a 4chan in-joke from like 4 years ago. maybe a handful of content creators tried it for clout but it's not a real thing. now go outside and play with your kids or better yet, stream Mack and Rita on Amazon Prime

— Ej Dickson (@ejdickson) September 20, 2022

What appears to have trigerred the trend is a comedy video that was once shared on TikTok, though it was not posted as any 'challenge'.

According to a TechCrunch.com report, the actual video dates back to 2017, which it saus "was almost definitely posted by a troll". The idea of “sleepy chicken” has since periodically resurfaced on social media, the report says.

SImilar FDA Warning In The Past 

The FDA has in the past also warned against similar social media challenges that asked people to use non-prescription drugs.

In September 2020, after reports of teens landing up in hospitals or even dying after participating in the "Benadryl Challenge" on TikTok, the US regulator had issued a similar warning. 

Warning of serious health problems due to higher consumption of the OTC allergy medicine, the FDA had said this could lead to heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death. Benadryl, a Johnson & Johnson product, is used to treat “symptoms of hay fever, upper respiratory allergies, or the common cold, such as runny nose and sneezing”.

The agency had said consumers should keep Benadryl out of children’s sight, adding that such medicines containing diphenhydramine should only be used as directed by the label.