Walloon Health Minister Coppieters mentions a potential ban on TikTok following the "Paracetamol Challenge."
The Minister of Health in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (WBF) raises the idea of banning TikTok after the spread of a challenge encouraging young people to take high doses of this painkiller.
"We could consider banning platforms like this that endanger the health of our young people," commented the minister, responding to a question in a plenary session of Parliament from MP Dorothée De Rodder (Socialist Party). "It's definitely something to think about," added Mr. Coppieters, who said he was "stunned" by the initiative. Circulating on TikTok, the Paracetamol Challenge encourages young people to take excessive amounts of this medication in order to spend as much time as possible in the hospital.
Mr. Coppieters also announced his intention to raise this health issue with his colleagues during an upcoming inter-ministerial conference (IMC) on health.
When asked about the number of victims this challenge had caused in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Mr. Coppieters stated that he currently had no data. He also welcomed the WBF's decision to soon ban recreational use of phones in schools, which should help limit the spread of such challenges. "It's a first step," the minister said.
