New Tik Tok Challenge: OD on Paracetamol to see who can stay in Hospital the longest

Warning over social media challenge that saw teenagers overdosing on paracetamol to see who could stay in hospital the longest - as police chief calls for parents of 'TikTok yobs' to be fined over 'morally abhorrent' behaviour

• Teenagers are taking paracetamol to see who can stay in hospital the longest
• Hampshire's police commissioner urged parents to talk to their children

Teenagers in Southampton are overdosing on paracetamol as part of a TikTok challenge to see who can stay in hospital the longest, the new chair of The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) has warned.   

Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, said 'kids' in Southampton this weekend took part in a social media challenge that saw them take over-the-counter painkillers to 'see who can get hospitalised and stay the longest'.

The Conservative police commissioner, who was elected as the new chair of the APCC this July, also called for the parents of TikTok yobs to be fined if their children participate in morally 'abhorrent' criminal behaviour fuelled by social media crazes.   

The police chief accused TikTok of failing to prevent challenges that are 'facilitating criminal activity' as she claimed the 'ridiculous' crazes being spread on social media are an 'indication of societal breakdown'. 

APCC chairwoman Donna Jones said parents should be disciplining their children and teaching them right from wrong

Ms Jones, formerly Britain's youngest magistrate, noted the TikTok craze in Southampton saw 15 to 17-year-olds take overdoses of paracetamol to see who could stay in hospital the longest. 

'We've had a load of kids in Southampton take paracetamol over the weekend following a TikTok challenge to see who can get hospitalised and stay in there the longest,' she said.  

'Parents have a responsibility to sit down and speak to these kids about what is going on TikTok, how these things are not fun, people will die, it is not sensible to do this and don't feel the peer pressure that you have to.'

Parents need to ‘get a grip’ and stop their children joining dangerous TikTok crazes, she said.

The grieving mother of a 19-year-old who died after overdosing on paracetamol spoke out against the dangerous online trend urging teenagers to take the over-the counter drug.

Her daughter Charlotte died after taking too many pills.

She was rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital after collapsing but died the next day.

The damage to her liver was irreversible.

A dangerous online trend has emerged encouraging young people to take large quantities of the drug, known as the Paracetamol Challenge.

'You see teenagers egging each other on, and it's a peer pressure thing where they clearly don't know what they're doing.'

Alan Ward, who was head of schools at East Ayrshire Council, told ITV News that young people are 'daring each other' to take 'excessive amounts' of paracetamol via Facebook and Instagram.

In large quantities Paracetamol can cause a number of serious side-affects, including fatal liver failure.

One girl wrote of her personal experience, posting on Twitter 'I have liver damage at 18 years old from paracetamol overdoses, the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. DO NOT DO IT.'

NHS England says that signs of an overdose can include yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, and advises people seek treatment if they experience these symptoms.

Other symptoms include sickness, bleeding, and in extreme cases, liver and kidney failure that can lead to death.

Head to the accident and emergency department as soon as possible in these circumstances.

HOW PARACETAMOL SHOULD BE TAKEN AND THE POTENTIALLY DEADLY IMPACT IF IT'S ABUSED

Doses of paracetamol are usually taken every four to six hours

Make sure you allow the recommended time between doses, and do not exceed the maximum dose for a 24-hour period

Don't take a double dose to make up for the missed dose – continue to leave four to six hours between doses.

If you accidentally take an extra dose of paracetamol, you should miss out the next dose so you don't exceed the maximum over a 24-hour period

Overdosing can lead to severe kidney or liver damage, feeling sick and vomiting that lasts up to 24 hours. If you've done so, visit accident and emergency 

In extreme cases, overdosing can lead to problems with brain function, bleeding, low blood sugar, fluid on the brain and even death

NHS England

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12408883/Warning-social-media-challenge-saw-teenagers-overdosing-paracetamol-stay-hospital-longest-police-chief-calls-parents-TikTok-yobs-fined-morally-abhorrent-behaviour.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3098184/Mother-teenage-daughter-died-overdose-counter-pills-warns-teenagers-parents-stop-dangerous-new-social-media-craze-dubbed-Paracetamol-Challenge.html

What happened in Southampton over the weekend is that young people aged 15-17 decided to challenge each other to take a paracetamol overdose to see who could get hospitalised and who could get hospitalised the longest, with the person remaining in hospital for the most hours being the winner.

"It's incredibly worrying, it's putting young people's lives in danger."

"This is taking up much-needed ambulance time, police time. We can't afford this to happen and parents need to get involved."