MA Police Warn Of Spicy Gum Sending Children To Hospital

ORANGE, MA — Police in Massachusetts are warning parents and caregivers about a spicy gum that is being distributed at school and sending children to the hospital.

In a note shared by the Orange Police Department, Dexter Park School Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Zielinski said that emergency personnel were called to the school Tuesday after a student purchased a spicy gum product online and offered it to students during recess.

At least 10 children were hospitalized as a result, according to news reports.

"The thing that we worry about is students with underlying medical conditions, such as asthma or pre-existing respiratory conditions," Orange Fire Chief James Young Jr. told Western Mass News. "When they inhale something like that, it can exacerbate their current medical condition."

The students were participating in a "TikTok gum challenge" with the gum, called Trouble Bubble, Southborough Police said in a warning after the incident in Orange. Police added that Amazon as well as several other vendors sell the gum, which contains the same active ingredient as police pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum.

While police-level pepper spray is normally rated one to two million Scoville heat units—a measurement of spiciness—this gum is rated at 16 million Scoville heat units, Southborough Police said.

According to Zielinski, the gum caused some students "digestive issues, including burning in the mouth and esophagus." Zielinski added that even those who accepted the gum but did not chew it suffered "immediate skin reactions, including eye irritation if they rubbed their eyes after touching it."

"Anyone found to have used the gum should be treated for extensive exposure to oleoresin capsicum," Southborough Police said. "Immediately have them rinse, swish around, spit out water. Do this as many times as possible. If, by chance, they have actually swallowed the saliva, they may vomit and have difficulty breathing. These individuals should be evaluated and transported to an emergency room."

Zielinski added that "appropriate disciplinary action will be taken upon the completion of the investigation" by the school and safety personnel.

"I ask that you speak with your child about bringing in candy or accepting such items in school, which are not permitted as part of our wellness policy," Zielinski said. "It is difficult for students to understand that items can often contain ingredients others are allergic to or created to cause physical distress."