Laundry detergent pods, also known as Tide pods, have recently become the center of news, and social media, as teenagers have started to bite into them to make content for a challenge that has now become known as the, “Tide pod challenge.”

The challenge started out as a joke between teenagers, where they would put Tide pods on food containers and post pictures of it, but, recently, some teens have started to consume Tide pods to make content for social media as it rises in prominence with viewers of online satire.

“I think that people are just being stupid and only doing it either for videos or to make memes, but don’t really think about what they are actually doing or even care about what they are doing to their bodies,” freshman Melissa Davis said.

Since the start of the new year, the American Association of Poison Control Centers has gotten at least 39 calls related to teenagers eating Tide pods according to the association. This is how many they received in all of 2016.

“I cannot believe it’s actually real… you have to be an idiot,” social studies teacher Matthew Smith said.

Liquid detergent in pods is not the same as the normal jug of liquid detergent. In a pod, there is a higher concentration of poisonous substances, increasing the health risks from biting into a Tide pod or other brands of detergent pods.

“Those kids need to think when they’re doing that,” science teacher Andy Zerr said.

According to the Association of Poison Control Centers single-use detergent pods, outside of the obvious health hazards, can cause seizures, fluid in the lungs, respiratory arrest, coma or death.

“It’s a dumb challenge. It’s people eating poisonous stuff,” freshman Camden Genta said.

The entire idea of a, “Tide pod challenge,” started as a joke, when teenagers were photoshopping the candy-like laundry detergent pods onto packets of food, including, though not limited to, hot pockets and oreo’s.

“The joke of eating tide pods was somewhat funny at first, because they do look like they would be a candy,” junior Edwin Robinson said.

The joke then quickly devolved into the, “Tide pod challenge,” where people filmed themselves biting into a Tide pod.

“When people started actually eating them it got way out of hand and was just people injuring themselves on purpose which was sad and disgusting to watch,” Robinson said.

In the videos, many people consuming the Tide pods can be seen coughing, gagging or foaming at the mouth.

“The bottom line is that Tide pods are for washing clothes and that’s it; people shouldn’t eat them,” Robinson said.

Since the “challenge” went viral, many video streaming platforms have since taken down videos including Tide pods in an attempt to limit the epidemic.

It has also discussed the possibility of taking Tide pods off the shelves entirely, at least until they can be re-designed to have a less-appetizing appearance. Some stores have already taken the Tide pods off of the shelves.

“It’s just another dumb internet challenge,” freshman Matthew Baird said.

This content often ends dangerously, and some of the video producers next step after the camera is the emergency room. From there, it’s in the doctors hands.