Who doesn’t like a little cinnamon on their oatmeal or in your favorite cookie batter? Here’s a warning to parents. Are your teens consuming more than their share of the spice cinnamon? A potentially harmful prank, the so-called “cinnamon challenge” has young people swallowing a spoonful of dry cinnamon so that they can gag and spew out orange dust.
The challenge can have serious health consequences. It’s reported those who do take the cinnamon challenge can experience some temporary unpleasantness like choking, burning in the mouth, nose and throat. There can also be longer-term problems, some have suffered lesions of the airway, scarring of the throat and even permanent lung damage. Getting scarring in the lungs is equivalent to getting emphysema.
