Three people in Taiwan were hospitalized after mistakenly consuming colorful laundry detergent pods that were distributed as a campaign freebie in the country’s presidential race. The incident occurred when a Nationalist Party campaign office gave out about 460,000 pods, which came in partially clear packaging featuring photos of the party’s candidate Hou Yu-ih and his running mate. The packaging also included the slogan “Vote for No. 3,” urging voters to support the Nationalist ticket in the three-way race.
According to Taiwanese media reports, one of the victims reportedly mistook the pods for candy, leading to the ingestion of the potentially harmful detergent. The pods were labeled as being able to wash up to 18 pounds of clothes, but the confusion over their appearance and packaging led to the accidental consumption.
Hung Jung-chang, the head of the Nationalist campaign office in central Taiwan, issued an apology for the incident, stating that they would not be distributing similar campaign materials in the future. He also emphasized that the pods were meant for laundry and not for consumption.
Those hospitalized included an 80-year-old man and an 86-year-old woman who were released after having their stomachs flushed. The Nationalist Party, also known as Kuomintang or KMT, is currently facing backlash and criticism for the potentially dangerous campaign giveaway. The incident has added a new twist to the heated presidential race, where Hou is running against William Lai of the governing Democratic Progressive Party and Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party.
The election, scheduled for Saturday, is being closely watched by both Beijing and Washington. China considers Taiwan as part of its territory, while the U.S. has continued to support Taiwan’s defense against any potential attack by selling arms to the self-governing island. The distribution of laundry detergent pods as a part of the presidential campaign has sparked concerns and highlighted the need for caution in campaigning strategies.
The Nationalist Party’s mishap with the laundry pods serves as a reminder of the importance of responsible campaigning and the potential consequences of distributing items that may be harmful, especially in a political context.