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The health risks posed by the ingestion of Tide Pods—particularly by children—have been noted by several media outlets. In March 2013, Consumer Reports reported that "since early 2012, poison control centers nationwide have received reports of nearly 7,700 pod-related exposures to children age 5 years and younger." In 2012 and 2013, an average of one child was admitted to hospital every day as a result of eating Tide Pods. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention tagged them as a health risk in 2012. Consumer Reports noted that "swallowing conventional detergent might result in mild stomach upset, but with highly concentrated detergent pods the ingestion can cause excessive vomiting, lethargy, and gasping, and in some reported cases, victims stopped breathing and required ventilation support." Individuals suffering from dementia have been reported to face health risks related to Tide Pods. Consumer Reports reported that between the Tide pods' introduction in 2012 through early 2017, eight deaths had been reported due to the ingestion of laundry detergent pods, with six of the eight deaths resulting from a pod manufactured by P&G.
Due to initial reports of children consuming their laundry detergent pods, Procter & Gamble began distributing Tide Pods in opaque tubs and bags. In 2015, P&G announced it would implement a bitter taste to its Tide Pods as a means to deter people from biting into them. Tide would also include child-safety features in its packaging and issue extensive warnings about locking up the pods in households shared with individuals who have Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, Tide's website includes a page discussing how to safely handle its products, and suggesting consumers drink a glass of water or milk if a product is swallowed and call a poison control center for help.
Many media outlets referenced the visual similarity the pods have to candy as a reasoning behind their consumption. U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer commented on the appeal of pods, "These pods were supposed to make household chores easier, not tempt our children to swallow harmful chemicals. I saw one on my staffer's desk and I wanted to eat it."
Consumer Reports published a story discussing the contents of laundry detergent pods and the consequences of ingesting them, which can include death. The story detailed that pods contain ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, and long-chain polymers, that when ingested can result in caustic burns to the lining of one's mouth, as well as the esophagus, stomach, and other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. The Daily Meal cited one 2014 study that suggested that ingesting the detergent pods may cause a swallowing dysfunction that could require surgery to repair.