Many of us grew up with the soothing slogan of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&Js) signature baby shampoo: #NoMoreTears. It’s a reminder of happy babies and bubbly bath times. Yet behind this cuddly image, J&J is perpetuating the suffering and loss of tens of thousands of people affected by tuberculosis (TB).
Instead of #NoMoreTears, we are witnessing tragedies every day in families and communities where TB has a grip. By setting the price of a lifesaving drug bedaquiline too high, J&J is, in effect, withholding the miracle of a cure from thousands of people living with TB.
What is the Chilli Pepper Eating Challenge?
The Chilli Pepper Eating Challenge was initially launched by a Cambridge University student group who supports MSF in October 2019 as we were ramping up the pressure to demand that the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson lower the price of lifesaving TB drug bedaquiline.
We are joining in to turn up the heat 🔥 on Johnson & Johnson and demand that they put people over profit!
We are setting ourselves the challenge to eat whole chillis - without crying/no tears – and as we do we will demand that Johnson & Johnson stop putting profits over lives.
If you want to join our struggle to lower the price of the new TB drug bedaquiline, here’s what you need to do.
To-do list:
- Buy a spicy chili pepper, or two if you want to do this with a friend.
- Get some milk or water ready against the heat 😊
- Make sure your phone or camera is charged up
- Get ready to post to social media (Twitter, but Facebook, Instagram and TikTok also work well)
Be careful and know your limits!
Please take care when you’re doing this! Don’t take part if you have a medical condition that would be exacerbated by eating chillis, and don’t go overboard by eating too much. One pepper per person is enough!
⚠️ Not recommended for children or individuals who have a medical condition that could be aggravated by eating chilis.
How to film it:
- Introduce yourself on video, explain that you’re doing this challenge to protest Johnson & Johnson’s high pricing of a lifesaving TB drug
- Film yourself eating the chilli (trying not to cry)
- Nominate a friend to do the challenge next
- Finally, upload the video to social media using the hashtag #NoMoreTears.
📽️ Video tip: Record your video in a quiet place, you can do a solo video or do it with a friend (see example videos from MSF UK staff linked below). Below we’ve also copied some text that you can use in the caption when you post your video, and a script guide that you can roughly follow so you know what to say on camera. Don’t feel you have to stick too strictly to this script – we want you to be natural.
📽️ Video tip: Be mindful of what’s in the background while you are filming so that it doesn’t distract from the main action. Also, please make sure that anyone who appears in your video is aware of how it is going to be used.
Examples and suggested text
🔥 Challenge accepted! 🔥
— MSF UK (@MSF_uk) November 21, 2019
.@DrJavidA was nominated to do the #NoMoreTears Chilli Challenge 🌶🌶🌶, calling on @JNJCares to stop valuing profits over people's lives.
.
Over to you! Tweet your #NoMoreTears video to @JNJcares, & tell them to drop the price of life-saving TB meds... pic.twitter.com/mDIjBBi3vq
Two more challengers brave the chillis! 🌶️🌶️🔥🔥
— MSF UK (@MSF_uk) November 4, 2019
Want to take part? Post your chilli-eating video with the hashtag #NoMoreTears to tell Johnson & Johnson (@JNJCares) to:
👉Stop overcharging for lifesaving TB medication, drop the price to $1 a day
👉Put lives over profit! pic.twitter.com/p5PM1OKJiY
Suggested caption for Twitter
People are dying because Johnson & Johnson have set the price of a lifesaving TB drug too high.
I am taking part in the #NoMoreTears 🌶️chilli pepper eating challenge to tell @JNJNews to put people's lives over profit!
www.msfaccess.org/nomoretears
⚠️ If you use this caption in other platforms, change J&J's handle to tag them. For Facebook and Instagram please see the instructions below
Suggested script for your video
“Hi, I'm [TELL YOUR NAME], today I’m doing the #NoMoreTears Chilli Pepper Eating Challenge for MSF, where I try to eat a whole chilli without crying. Johnson & Johnson, stop putting profits over lives and lower the price of lifesaving TB drug to $1 a day.”
After the chilli has been eaten >>> ”I nominate [INSERT NAME] to do the challenge next.”
Where to post your video
We list some suggestions below but use other platforms if you prefer!
- Twitter: tag @JNJNews and use the hashtag #NoMoreTears
- Facebook: tag @Johnson & Johnson, use the hashtag #NoMoreTears, and make your post public
- Instagram: tag @jnj and use the hashtag #NoMoreTears
- Are you on TikTok or other platforms? Feel free to post there too!