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  • 2018-01-23 (xsd:date)
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  • Are Stores Locking Up Tide PODS So People Won't Eat Them? (en)
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  • In January 2018 a fad known as the Tide PODS challenge -- in which people posted videos of themselves eating the laundry detergent product -- drew worldwide attention for the potential danger to human health. Shortly afterwards, rumors surfaced that retailers had begun locking up the product: Early social media posts about the purported safety measure typically included images of Tide PODS secured on retail shelves, but lacked any evidence that the measure was related to the dangerous fad. Mashable non-committally noted of the swirling claims: However, the article went on to say that retailers had locked up the product before the Tide PODS Challenge became popular: However, that didn't stop local news affiliates from reporting that the Tide PODS challenge had definitively prompted the additional security measures: Tampa station WTSP reported that the challenge led to local stores locking up their detergent, but offered no evidence that the product was being secured solely or newly for that reason. Moreover, that same article contradicted its own claim by indicating that the measure preceded the January 2018 fad: Obviously, locking up the detergent pods might deter theft, but certainly wouldn't stop a teenager from simply grabbing a Tide pod from their family's kitchen and eating it on camera. Reports from as early as 2012 indicated that Tide-brand detergent had a high rate of theft. In March 2012, ABC News reported an uptick in Tide thefts, and in January 2013 WCPO.com broadcasted a segment about the appearance of security tags on Tide detergent: We contacted Walgreens spokesperson James Graham to ask about whether the new batch of claims about security measures were accurate. He said there had indeed been some misreporting on the rumor, explaining: Likewise, a representative for Walmart said that securing of specific products was done on a store-by-store and case-by-case basis, often affecting items such as razors, baby formula, and laundry detergent, and depending on loss prevention needs in a given area. The representative affirmed that the securing of Tide PODS was not tied to the social media [trend] in any way. (en)
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