Dozens get sick after eating ghost peppers at Ohio Middle School

[jnelsoninjax]

Approximately 40 Milton-Union Middle School students were treated Friday by medics after they ingested suspected ghost peppers at the school, officials said.

The incident happened during the lunch period, and the district was still working to determine how many students were involved and where the hot peppers came from, said Superintendent Brad Ritchey of Milton-Union Exempted Village Schools.

West Milton police and emergency crews from Englewood and Union were called at 12:06 p.m. to the school on Milton-Potsdam Road. The investigation revealed all involved students “took these peppers voluntarily,” according to police.

In total, five students were taken to local hospitals and approximately 40 students — ages 11 to 14 — had ingested the peppers.

“The response of emergency services was amazing; deputies and help from surrounding paramedics … we really had a lot of help here this afternoon,” Ritchey said. “This was serious but sometimes situations at schools become far more serious than this.”

Ritchey said symptoms ranged from blotchy skin, hives, tearing of eyes, sweating and general discomfort.

Cody Schmidt, an eighth-grader at the school, said he tried one of the peppers and it was in fact “really hot.”

Schmidt said he began to get nervous as people around him started to have allergic reactions.

“We all drank like 10 cartons of milk,” Schmidt said, adding he didn’t know the student who handed him a pepper.

According to the 9-1-1 caller from the school, one 13-year-old boy broke out in a rash and had trouble seeing, while two other students were vomiting.

The district sent a one-call to all parents around 2 p.m.

School officials have identified the student who brought the peppers to school, but it’s unclear whether the student will face any discipline.

“It was definitely a disruption, and school disruptions are in our school code of conduct,” Ritchey said.

Pam Bucaro, clinical nurse specialist in the emergency room at Dayton Children’s Hospital, said the hospital worries most about exposure to hot peppers if the child has a history of asthma or if oils from the pepper reach the skin or eyes.

Otherwise, treat the symptoms at home using an antacid and wash the skin with soap.
“Kids will be kids, and sometimes they do challenges and dare each other to do things,” Bucaro said. “These are not games and there can be serious effects when ingesting things.”

http://www.whio.com/news/dozens-get-sick-after-eating-ghost-peppers-west-union-middle-school/xalbcUlaTfQwffvn1DjEZO/

[+Red King Subscriber²]

People are allergic to jalapenos and ghost peppers and such?

 

I did not know that.

 

[jnelsoninjax]

4 minutes ago, J. X. Maxwell said:

People are allergic to jalapenos and ghost peppers and such?

 

I did not know that.

 

I'm guessing that it's more psychosomatic then a physical allergy, but I could be wrong, paging @DocM!

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Yea, that's not an allergy. You know how hot a ghost pepper is? Even adults act that exact same way...

[DocM]

Ghost peppers taste great, but are definitely not  for hot pepper virgins 

 

Most people who are "allergic to peppers" are allergic to sweet pepper varieties. Article below describing the proteins.  

 

This isn't to say someone can't be allergic to chilies, with food allergies so common and increasing anything's possible.

 

http://www.phadia.com/en/Products/Allergy-testing-products/ImmunoCAP-Allergen-Information/Food-of-Plant-Origin/Spices/Chili-Pepper-/

 

Quote

ALLERGEN DESCRIPTION 

No allergens have been characterised.

The following allergens have been characterised from C. annuum (Sweet pepper/Paprika f218). C frutescens may contain similar allergens:
>

 

Edited September 3, 2016 by DocM

[compl3x]

Quote

Cody Schmidt, an eighth-grader at the school, said he tried one of the peppers and it was in fact “really hot.”

 

That some fine reporting. I understand their weather guy describes rain as "wet".

 

 

I'll never get these extreme peppers. I like spicy food too but this doesn't even seem like an ingredient you can realistically add to anything. I've only ever seen people eat them on a dare and then spend the next 20 mins drinking milk or yogurt and regretting the decision.

 

As long as you're not one of those jerks who gives it to unsuspecting people as a "prank" then I suppose whatever floats ya boat.

[TechJunkie81]

I like food with a good spicy kick but I will never understand eating Ghost Peppers.  It is like asking if you want to evict everything inside you.

[Xilo]

2 hours ago, compl3x said:

I'll never get these extreme peppers. I like spicy food too but this doesn't even seem like an ingredient you can realistically add to anything. I've only ever seen people eat them on a dare and then spend the next 20 mins drinking milk or yogurt and regretting the decision.

Used in moderation, they are great. Ghost chili peppers are delicious. There's this ghost chili salsa I like to buy. Can only eat a bit at a time, but it's some of the most flavorful I've had.

[DocM]

3 hours ago, TechJunkie81 said:

I like food with a good spicy kick but I will never understand eating Ghost Peppers.  It is like asking if you want to evict everything inside you.

Love 'em, and grow Carolina Reapers which are even hotter (per Guiness) - about 8 Times hotter than a Habanero.

 

Carolina Reaper: 2.2 million Scoville

Bhut Jalokia (Ghost pepper): 1.041 million Scoville

 

Reaper

[TechJunkie81]

9 hours ago, DocM said:

Love 'em, and grow Carolina Reapers which are even hotter (per Guiness) - about 8 Times hotter than a Habanero.

 

Carolina Reaper: 2.2 million Scoville

Bhut Jalokia (Ghost pepper): 1.041 million Scoville

 

Reaper

Just looking at them is making me sweat.  Definitely not for the timid.  Enjoy good sir.

[techbeck]

14 hours ago, J. X. Maxwell said:

People are allergic to jalapenos and ghost peppers and such?

 

I did not know that.

 

Knew a guy who was allergic to onions.  And someone who was deadly allergic to strawberry.

[Hum]

glad I avoid most Mexican foods

[Torolol]

Everybody has their own taste preference,

i for example would prefer the spicy-ness from peppercorn rather than Capsicum family,

but I do like the non-spicy capsicum such as bell-pepper.

[The Dark Knight]

Ghost peppers are insanely hot! I love them, but only have a small piece every few days. It's not for people who are not used to ultra spicy food, and definitely not for kids!

[DocM]

3 hours ago, techbeck said:

Knew a guy who was allergic to onions.  And someone who was deadly allergic to strawberry.

I have a severe allergy to raw carrots, or more specifically to the Dau c 1 protein, which means celery and birch come come along for the ride.  Celery and birch are mild, but raw carrots are deadly.

 

Never was allergic to carrots as a kid, but one day I ate some shredded carrotsc as a garnish on a salad and BANG! - anaphylaxis. Good thing my wife had an epi-pen. 3 days in the hospital. Now my allergies go nuts if I'm in the room with cut carrots. For cooking, canned or frozen are all I can handle and the latter with latex gloves.

 

Cooking carrots destroys the protein. Celery and birch pollen are OK with an antihistamine on board, but to be safe an epi-pen is always at hand.

Edited September 4, 2016 by DocM

[T3X4S]

17 hours ago, Mindovermaster said:

Yea, that's not an allergy. You know how hot a ghost pepper is? Even adults act that exact same way...

Exactly - those things are awfully hot.

One can be allergic to anything.  My mother is allergic to penicillin.
Some people are allergic to sunlight.

I dont know if the reaction people get from the capsaicin is an allergic-reaction - but the chemical interaction is pretty strong with those nasty Ghost peppers - heck - somewhere in the middle east - they have weaponised it and used it for crowd dispersal (pepper spray).  My friend is all in to the too hot for human consumption hot sauces - the Trinidad Scorpion is the hottest - which is a hybrid ghost pepper.  He said there is a place in California near him and they make those sauces only on Sunday - and close the store - and only 1 employee in the store at a time - because just the air particles are enough to choke and gag everyone around.

[T3X4S]

8 minutes ago, DocM said:

I have a severe allergy to raw carrots, ....

 

 

I immediately thought of this:

[DocM]

11 minutes ago, T3X4S said:

>

but the chemical interaction is pretty strong with those nasty Ghost peppers - heck - somewhere in the middle east - they have weaponised it and used it for crowd dispersal (pepper spray).  

>

Capsaicin is in all peppers from sweet Bells to Carolina Reaper chilies (members of the Nightshade family) to a greater or lesser degreee, and police and civilian defensive pepper sprays use it - not just in the middle East. Most pepper sprays ruun about 3 million Scoville.

 

Other Nightshades produce other toxins in various parts of the plant; tomatoes, tobacco, potatoes etc. in their leaves.

Edited September 4, 2016 by DocM

[FloatingFatMan]

17 hours ago, DocM said:

Love 'em, and grow Carolina Reapers which are even hotter (per Guiness) - about 8 Times hotter than a Habanero.

 

Carolina Reaper: 2.2 million Scoville

Bhut Jalokia (Ghost pepper): 1.041 million Scoville

 

Reaper

The very look of the things just screams "Don't eat me, you WILL regret it!"

[DocM]

2 hours ago, FloatingFatMan said:

The very look of the things just screams "Don't eat me, you WILL regret it!"

Not for the weak, or beginners. You have to work your way up to the really hot chilies; get used to a Jalapeno then move up to a Serrano etc.

[FloatingFatMan]

Just now, DocM said:

Not for the weak, or beginners. You have to work your way up to the really hot chilies; get used to a Jalapeno then move up to a Serrano etc.

Mate, I balk at bell peppers!

 

[+Red King Subscriber²]

7 hours ago, DocM said:

I have a severe allergy to raw carrots, or more specifically to the Dau c 1 protein, which means celery and birch come come along for the ride.  Celery and birch are mild, but raw carrots are deadly.

 

Never was allergic to carrots as a kid, but one day I ate some shredded carrotsc as a garnish on a salad and BANG! - anaphylaxis. Good thing my wife had an epi-pen. 3 days in the hospital. Now my allergies go nuts if I'm in the room with cut carrots. For cooking, canned or frozen are all I can handle and the latter with latex gloves.

 

Cooking carrots destroys the protein. Celery and birch pollen are OK with an antihistamine on board, but to be safe an epi-pen is always at hand.

That's a lot of soups there.

[seta-san]

try the chocolate bhutlah. much hotter than the Carolina reaper. when people are asked what it tastes like the most common response is "pain".

 

[Dale Burke]

You know something is spicy when it affects your ability to see..........just sayin.

[DocM]

Chocolate Bhutlah may well be hotter, but AFAIK its Scoville rating hasn't been measured.  

 

Can't wait to get a few.