A political stunt is backfiring horribly in Taiwan as at least three people have been hospitalized after eating laundry detergent pods given out as campaign freebies.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Hou You-yi gave out 460,000 pods in support of his campaign, according to the Taipei Times. Hung Jung-chang, the head of Hou’s campaign office, apologized Saturday and said the campaign is now working on “disseminating information” advising voters to stop eating them.
Campaign staffers will also visit the three people known to have required hospital treatment after consuming the pods, Hung added.
The pods were handed out in packaging bearing the KMT party slogan along with images of Hou and his running mate. The packets also give directions for use including the phrase: “One pod can be used to wash up to 8 kg of clothes.”
At least one person who sickened themselves by eating the pods said she did so because she mistook them for candy, according to the Times. Two others—an 86-year-old woman and an 80-year-old man with the same surname—had to have their stomachs pumped after they ate the pods last week, the Erlin Christian Hospital said.
