ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The “Jam Jar Pulse Jet” trend is a dangerous TikTok challenge that experts are warning against. The trend involves pouring rubbing alcohol in a jar, putting a lid with a hole on top and lighting the alcohol on fire.
The problem? The jars can explode, throwing fiery rubbing alcohol and glass on anyone standing nearby.
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“That can cause significant harm, permanently damage your vision, permanently scar you. Heaven forbid it causes a laceration or something that causes life-threatening bleeding. But, the fire risk is real,” said Ian Womack, the division chief at St. Petersburg Fire Rescue.
Just this week, a 14-year-old boy in St. Pete landed in the hospital with burns to his legs after trying the trend.
What they’re saying:
“We had a young teenage boy set himself on fire trying to do one of these challenges, and he will be faced with life-altering injuries now that he’ll deal with for the rest of his life,” Womack said.
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Womack said there is serious danger surrounding this challenge.
“[It] produces a fire hazard, an explosion hazard, an uncontrolled event that can set a house on fire or even set a person on fire,” Womack said.
What you can do:
He said parents should stay involved with their teens and talk to them about what they are seeing online and the safety risks of lighting alcohol on fire.
“Just engage with kids and then also find opportunities to highlight the risk with kids, right? The risk of getting burned, the risk of setting the house on fire,” Womack said. “So that they understand there’s real consequences with these things.”Â
The Source: The information in this story was provided by St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue.Â