6 Dangerous Online Challenges Louisiana Parents Need to Watch For

NEW ORLEANS, La. — A 9-year-old boy burned over 70% of his body while taking part in a social media trend called the “fire challenge.” New Orleans fire and police leaders are urging parents to talk with their children about dangerous online dares.

New Orleans Fire Department Chief Roman Nelson and Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick recorded a joint video message after the incident. They did not release further details about what happened. Health officials, burn centers and law enforcement have flagged several other risky trends this year as well.

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What Louisiana Parents Need to Know About the Fire Challenge

The fire challenge dares kids to set themselves on fire. Nelson said the boy is in severe pain and lucky to be alive. “It is not fun, and it is not funny,” Kirkpatrick said.

Related stunts are drawing warnings elsewhere in the country. Fire officials in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, issued a separate warning on Oct. 19 about fire-breathing and about igniting alcohol on mirrors and clothing. The department said challenges like these have contributed to a rise in burn injuries among children. It asked parents to limit access to flammable products, keep an eye on what their kids watch online, and teach fire-safety basics early.

Teen Benadryl Poison Center Calls Have More Than Doubled in 2026

Poison centers are reporting a sharp rise in calls about teens and diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in the over-the-counter allergy medicine Benadryl and in some sleep aids. Those calls more than doubled in the first five months of 2026 compared with the same period last year. America’s Poison Centers counted 6,179 of them among people ages 13 to 19.

The advisory said the rise appears linked to deliberate attempts to get high. It may be tied to the Benadryl Challenge, a social media trend that encourages taking far more than the recommended dose. In Oklahoma, a 15-year-old girl was left brain dead after overdosing on Benadryl.

Symptoms of diphenhydramine poisoning can include drowsiness, agitation, a fast heart rate, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, seizures, dangerous heart rhythm problems, and loss of consciousness. Doctors say to call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away if a teen may have taken too much of any medication. They urge families to store all medications securely because diphenhydramine turns up in many products besides Benadryl.

Microwaved Gel Toys Are Causing Serious Burns in Children

Burn centers across the country are treating children hurt after microwaving gel-filled sensory toys, including the NeeDoh brand, to soften them. The idea spreads through social media videos. The manager of the Johns Hopkins burn center in Baltimore estimates she has seen about a dozen recent cases. When a heated toy bursts, hot gel can spray onto a child’s skin, face, and eyes.

The toymaker warns against heating the toys, and doctors say the risk applies to any gel-filled sensory toy. Pediatric burn specialists in Boston say families should never microwave the toys, even for a few seconds. They also advise keeping the toys out of direct sunlight and hot cars. For any serious burn, or any burn on the face, eyes, hands or neck, they urge medical care. Ice can make a burn worse, one specialist cautioned.

“Cat in the Hat” Threat Posts Prompt Warnings in Louisiana Parishes

At the start of September, TikTok posts pairing the Dr. Seuss character with rhyming threats of school violence began circulating in several Louisiana parishes. Berwick’s police chief said his investigators started working after parents and school administrators called about a video threatening Berwick High School. They identified four suspects tied to sharing the video or creating accounts. Law enforcement says people caught can face charges ranging from criminal mischief to terrorism.

Four juveniles were arrested in St. Mary Parish on terrorizing-related and cyberbullying charges in connection with the trend. Assumption Parish Sheriff Leland Falcon said his office will not treat such activity as a joke. Officials in the region say the trend involves AI-generated videos and images and urge families to report the posts without helping them spread.

Blackout Challenge Remains a Recurring Danger

The blackout challenge, also called the choking game or fainting game, involves cutting off airflow until a person passes out. It has circulated for years and resurfaces from time to time. In September, a Volusia County, Florida, father publicly warned other parents after seeing a video he believes shows his middle-school-aged son attempting it.

Parents can ask children directly whether they have seen the challenge and explain how dangerous it is to cut off airflow on purpose.

Chroming Is the New Name for Inhalant Abuse

Chroming is slang for huffing, which means inhaling fumes from household products such as paint, solvents, aerosol cans, nail polish, and permanent markers. Experts say experimentation among teens has risen again in recent years after two decades of decline. Chroming can be fatal, and the amount and frequency that lead to a fatal outcome are unpredictable.

black metal tank — Photo by Jean-Louis Paulin on Unsplash

Dr. Dawn Sollee, director of the Florida Poison Information Center in Jacksonville, lists warning signs that include empty cans in a child’s bedroom, nosebleeds, and sores around the nose or mouth. Signs of a chroming overdose include confusion, numbness, drowsiness, hallucinations, fainting and seizures. Experts say to call 911 or a poison center right away.

How Louisiana Families Can Respond

Several of these trends call for the same few steps at home.

Start open conversations about peer pressure and teach children to recognize a risky trend.
Lock up medications, including over-the-counter allergy and sleep aids, and keep an eye on pill counts.
Keep fire starters and flammable liquids, including rubbing alcohol, out of reach.
Tell children never to heat or freeze gel-filled toys, and keep the toys away from hot cars.
Report school threats to law enforcement or school administrators instead of reposting them.
Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 for a suspected poisoning, and call 911 in an emergency.

What Happens Next for Louisiana Families

Nelson and Kirkpatrick shared their message on social media to reach families directly. They urged parents to talk with their children about peer pressure online. Officials have not publicly released further details about how the New Orleans incident happened.

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