Interest in dangerous ‘NyQuil chicken’ videos surged after US agency warning

The controversy highlights the difficulty for the government and media in responding effectively to dangerous viral challenges. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

Interest in NyQuil chicken appears to have substantially increased after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about the “recent social media video challenge” that drew widespread media coverage.

The FDA issued a statement on 15 September warning of social media videos encouraging people to cook chicken in NyQuil: “The challenge sounds silly and unappetizing – and it is. But it could also be very unsafe.