WALES – The Welsh have unveiled a new pepper variety that unleashes a new level of fire; one that is so powerful it could potentially be lethal. However, even heat enthusiasts may be relieved to know that this pepper isn’t for eating, but rather for helpful medicinal purposes. 

Dubbed “Dragon’s Breath” by its creator, Chef Mike Smith, this chili pepper has been christened as the world’s hottest pepper with an official nod from the Guinness Book of Records. The Sun reported that if consumed, the pepper is so hot that it could cause anaphylactic shock by causing airways to close up.

Thankfully, consumers won’t be able to accidentally get their hands on this variety, as it won’t be sold for commercial use. Rather, Mike, owner of Tom Smith’s Plants, helped Nottingham University scientists develop this insanely hot pepper for medicinal purposes only.

"This was developed because a lot of people are allergic to anaesthetic, and this can be applied to the skin because it is so strong it numbs it," Mike stated.

Dragon’s Breath weighs in over a whopping 2.48 million units on the Scoville scale. For reference, the now-second hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper, clocks in at around 2.2 million units. Pepper spray, which also uses capsaicin, gets close to the variety at just around 2 million. 

The accurately titled pepper and its oils are so strong that it is kept in specially sealed container until its uses are required for good. The variety was named to honor its Welsh beginnings.

But, has anyone actually succumbed to temptation and tried to eat the pepper?

“It’s not been tried orally. I’ve tried it on the tip of my tongue and it just burned and burned. I spat it out in about 10 seconds,” Mike stated. “The heat intensity just grows.”

Is produce set to the save the human race? I'm marking this one down as yes. Although, if you see a pepper in your doctor's office, maybe leave it where it lays.