Mexican authorities are warning about the dangers of a viral TikTok challenge that has left school students intoxicated after taking a controlled medication.
With the slogan “The last one to fall asleep wins,” the challenge consists of trying to stay awake after taking clonazepam, a drug used to treat seizures, panic attacks and anxiety.
A side effect of the drug is drowsiness.
Paramedics treated five intoxicated minors at a school in Mexico City, the capital’s public security department said on Thursday.
Authorities in the northern state of Nuevo Leon reported three cases there. None of the students became seriously ill.
“Unfortunately, challenges that spread through networks often put people’s health at risk,” Nuevo Leon health secretary Alma Rosa said.
Several videos have been posted on TikTok of people recording themselves taking the pills to observe the effects.
Other users have posted videos warning about the danger of the challenge, which has also been seen previously in Chile.
Separately, the EU’s digital policy chief warned TikTok’s boss on Thursday that the social media app will have to fall in line with tough new rules for online platforms set to take effect later this year.
EU Commissioner Thierry Breton held a video call with Chew Shou Zi (周受資), chief executive officer of TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned video sharing app that is coming under increasing scrutiny from Western authorities over fears about data privacy, cybersecurity and misinformation.
The two discussed the company’s plans to comply with the bloc’s Digital Services Act, which is set to take effect for the biggest online companies in September. The act is a set of sweeping rules that will require platforms to reduce harmful online content and combat online risks.
“With younger audiences comes greater responsibility,” Breton said, according to a readout of the call. “It is not acceptable that behind seemingly fun and harmless features, it takes users seconds to access harmful and sometimes even life-threatening content.”
Breton added that, with millions of young users in Europe, TikTok has a “special responsibility” to ensure its content is safe.
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