Because videos of people choking and screaming isn’t enough to deter bored teens, doctors are making it official: don’t take the cinnamon challenge. In a report published in Pediatrics today, doctors warn that trying to swallow spoonfuls of cinnamon can result in choking, breathing problems, and even collapsed lungs. Apparently the dare is so popular that poison control centers received over 200 calls related to it last year, and at least 30 teens needed medical attention. YouTube is littered with videos of kids trying to take the dare, only to belch out a cloud of red spice. "It's not cool and it's dangerous," warns a 16-year-old who was hospitalized for four days after choking on cinnamon.
