What's the harm?

Now I'm not the bravest person in the world, but I'll admit I'm a little curious.

In the past few weeks, I've heard 2 separate references to "the Cinnamon Challenge."  Are you familiar?  Apparently, someone came up with the *brilliant* idea for a dare: to swallow a spoonful of ground cinnamon without a glass of water in 60 seconds.  As I watched a few people on a reality show, I cracked up at how they coughed, spat at and sneezed the powder while hysterically laughing & talking about how awful it tasted.  It was hilarious to watch and I tucked it in the back of my mind as a potential challenge for our annual Fourth of July games (be on alert Rakoz/Anderson Family!).

A few days ago I was watching "Chicago Fire" where 3 characters were going to perform this very challenge to determine a winner.  Their boss heard of this contest and reprimanded them very sharply talking of "collapsed lungs" and "safety" and "risk."  What risk?  I didn't understand.

In talking to a nurse friend, I asked her what the harm was and she hadn't heard of this phenomenon yet so I immediately pulled it up on YouTube and we walked a very anxious girl give it a try.  Once again, I was highly amused and exploded in laughter (rewinding and watching again).  We guessed at what the harm could be and looked up the information for verification.  After all, my kids (Dylan in particular) are the type that I suspect will do these kinds of ridiculous things "just to see what will happen."  #notlookingforwardtoteenageyears

Apparently, here are the risks (info obtained from Google):

Here's what's wrong with taking in a tablespoon of dry ground cinnamon in 60 seconds, according to pediatricians:

* Taking the challenge involves the risks of choking, aspiration of cinnamon into the lungs, and pulmonary damage.

* While doctors think the risk of long-term damage is minimal, the short-term effects can be significant. In the worst-case scenario, some adolescents taking the challenge have suffered collapsed lungs and required the use of ventilators.

* There have been more than 30 cases nationwide of teens needing treatment for aspiration of cinnamon after taking the challenge, the Pediatrics report says. Not only can cinnamon cause inflammation, it can cause epithelial lesions and scarring in the lungs.

* Aspiration pneumonia is another severe potential complication resulting from cinnamon entering the upper respiratory tract.

* Teens with asthma or other bronchopulmonary conditions or with cinnamon allergy may be at greater risk than other takers of the cinnamon dare.

* Calls to poison control centers for problems resulting from cinnamon ingestion are on the rise. There were 51 such calls in 2011. In the first half of 2102, the number jumped to 178. Typical reasons for calling were coughing and burning sensation in the nose, throat, or mouth. Others reported vomiting, nosebleeds, and tightness in the chest.

* The Urban Dictionary refers to the practice of consuming a handful of powder such as cinnamon as a "dry shot."

* Dried chili powder is another substance some young teens are ingesting as depicted in this online video. Some websites suggest eating using chili powder as the punishment in truth or dare games.

* Ingesting chili powder has resulted in death including that of a baby whose mother put it on her thumbs todeter thumb-sucking in 2004. The baby suffocated and the mother was convicted of manslaughter.

* In January, another young mother was arrested after her boyfriend's 2-year-old daughter had a seizure and died after consuming chili powder. According to the New York Daily News, the woman allegedly forced the baby to eat the chili powder as a punishment.

Um, yeah, maybe it's not as funny as I initially thought.  I did take a little comfort in knowing the 2 instances I watched resulted in simple discomfort for the participants.

I'm still intrigued by trying it though.....

Intrigued, but not stupid.  I'll just have to be satisfied with the opened question I guess.