Quispamsis — Move over Tide pods. Another menacing internet fad is endangering New Brunswick youth, and government officials are warning parents not to bury their heads in the sand about the potential impact.
“We thought it was just a laugh, you know,” said a regretful Quispamsis teenager who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. “Everyone was talking about it and posting on their Snapchat story. I thought to myself, ‘I can totally do this!’
“I wanted to impress my friends I guess. Now, I wish I’d never heard of it.”
Kennebecasis Valley teenagers are daring each other to complete the so-called “Sandbag Challenge,” where they consume an entire sandbag that has been exposed to dirty and possibly toxic flood water. The New Brunswick government estimates that more than 500,000 sandbags were distributed throughout the province in the past three weeks. While there is no certain count of how many sandbags have been consumed by teens to date, officials agree there is elevated opportunity due to their prevalence.
The anonymous teen told The Manatee that it is very easy to succumb to peer pressure without thinking through the consequences. “I was videoing myself going to town on one of those sandbags with a spoon, and about a quarter way through I thought to myself, ‘Wait, why am I doing this?’ Then, the stomach cramps started. Now, I haven’t pooped in over a week. This is awful.”
Officials at a local high school are puzzled, and not accepting any accountability for the fad. “Why is it every time a kid does something stupid that people ask the schools why they did it?” asked Quispamsis High vice-principal Andrew Salete. “We didn’t tell them to do it, these kids have parents you know! Why don’t you ask them?
“If it makes you feel better, we’ll tell them not to do it. We’ll also tell them not to drink out of the toilet and not to stick anything up their butts. You’re welcome, parents!”