UAE: Viral ‘sleepy chicken’ challenge condemned by doctors as they urge caution against online trends

UAE: Viral ‘sleepy chicken’ challenge condemned by doctors as they urge caution against online trends

Netizens are being challenged to cook raw chicken in a pool of sleep-inducing cold medicine — prompting the international authorities to issue advisories

Published: Fri 23 Sep 2022, 9:59 AM Last updated: Fri 23 Sep 2022, 2:05 PM

Doctors in the UAE are warning residents against a dangerous food challenge that recently went viral on the Internet.

The challenge had been telling Netizens to try cooking raw chicken in a pool of NyQuil, a sleep-inducing cold medicine. Soon after the heavy circulation of that video, several people tried out the new recipe known as 'sleepy chicken', prompting the US Food and Drug Administration to issue an advisory.

UAE doctors cautioned residents against using unusual ingredients in cooking food — especially if they do not have enough information about them.

Dr Amani Elghafri, internal medicine consultant at Valiant Clinic & Hospital, said such a viral trend could take "a massive toll on one's health".

"Cooking chicken in cough medicine is a new and unnatural challenge that has been spread worldwide. Not only is the video that started this trend growing in popularity, but it’s being tested by people who have viewed it.”

Explaining why this is dangerous, he said: “Cough medicine and other over-the-counter medications become more concentrated