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Paracetamol Challenge: the new deadly challenge that young people are taking on TikTok

undefined undefined 5 février 2025 undefined 20h00

The Editor

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The social network TikTok is making headlines again, and not for good reasons. For several months now, the Paracetamol Challenge has been spreading there. It's a challenge that young people are taking on, testing their limits by ingesting the largest amounts of paracetamol possible.

There has been the Momo Challenge, the Labello Challenge, the Blackout Challenge, and the Bluewhale Challenge… For several years, the most violent and dangerous challenges have been spreading on the social media platform TikTok. Encouraging violent actions, self-harm, fainting, or even suicide, these challenges appear as trends that young people try out, sometimes at the risk of their lives. The latest one? The Paracetamol Challenge. 


A common but dangerous medication

The goal of this “challenge” is to ingest as much paracetamol as possible, test one’s limits, and stay hospitalized for as long as possible. A challenge that young TikTok users take on, and it has 

already made a victim, a little girl of 10 years old. Born in the United States in 2023, the challenge has gradually gained Europe and is causing great concern among the medical community. Even though they are not available over the counter since they have been placed behind pharmacy counters since 2020, medications containing paracetamol like Doliprane or Dafalgan do not require a doctor's prescription. Anyone can easily buy them.

"Even though it has become a common over-the-counter medication [...], we have forgotten that it is a medication with potentially life-threatening risks," reminds Bruno Maleine, president of the Council of Pharmacists for the National Order of Pharmacists, whose words were shared by France Bleu. The National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) states that in cases of overdose, paracetamol can cause severe liver damage, which can be irreversible...

certain cases ». This can also lead to vomiting, abdominal pain, liver failure, or even death.  


A call for utmost vigilance from pharmacists

In some French and Belgian schools, parents of students have been alerted about the risks of paracetamol overdose, Bruno Maleine urges healthcare professionals to be extra cautious: « The sale of several boxes of paracetamol should raise concerns for the pharmacist and their teams. They need to be especially vigilant today, particularly with younger populations.»

Despite the risks of the Paracetamol Challenge, requiring a prescription to obtain this type of medication is not on the agenda for the. « This could deprive a certain population that regularly needs it. We know how difficult it is today to get a medical appointment and a prescription », emphasizes Bruno Maleine. In case of overdose, contact 15 immediately.