‘Dragon’s Breath’ Liquid Nitrogen TikTok Trend Can Kill, Doctor Warns
CHILLING
Health officials in Indonesia have raised the alarm about children taking part in a TikTok trend in which they eat a street snack made with liquid nitrogen nicknamed “Dragon’s Breath.” The country’s health minister said in a statement that around 25 kids have been affected—including two who were hospitalized—with injuries including stomach burns and food poisoning after eating the chiki ngebul or chikibulis. The rainbow-colored candies are covered in liquid nitrogen, which makes the snacks appear to be smoking. Indonesian doctor Dicky Budiman said if the snack is eaten before the nitrogen has evaporated, the consumer risks intestinal perforations and possibly death in severe cases. No deaths have yet been reported in association with the food, which children film themselves putting in their mouths before exhaling plumes of vapor.