A party trick known as the "Cinnamon Challenge" could lead teens to lung damage later in life, says a new researcher from University of Miami's Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine in Florida. The trick involves teens accepting a dare to swallow a full tablespoon of ground cinnamon.
According to researchers, the trick can leave teens choking and suffering asphyxiation. The dare's popularity has been largely fueled by YoutTube, where videos of teens accepting the challenge have gone viral.
Lead researcher Steven Lipshultz and his team reviewed data collected by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) and found that emergency calls associated with the trick jumped from 51 in 2011 to 178 calls in the first half of 2012.
"Possible asphyxiation and pulmonary symptoms were limited to adolescents, all of whom had ingested dry powder from the cinnamon challenge. Although the known health risks of the challenge are relatively low, they are unnecessary and avoidable," the authors wrote.
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