Combatting the Newest Threats to Kids and Teens: The Cinnamon Challenge and Other Dangerous Games

In some ways, the world has changed dramatically in recent decades, but when it comes to teens engaging in risky behaviors, the only thing that has changed is how quickly a dangerous dare or challenge can spread from one teen to another. With the aid of the Internet, recent threats like “the cinnamon challenge” and“chubby bunny” are now spreading like wildfire — often long before parents even hear about them. Some of these so-called “challenges” are toxic, while others are potentially fatal. While education does little to curb teens’ risk-taking behaviors, informed parents who set limits and consequences have a better chance of influencing their teens’ behavior.

Understanding the Teenage Brain

Students taking masters in criminal justice courses and law enforcement professionals who work with adolescents and teens may already be aware of how teens’ brains differ from adult brains, but many parents are not. As WebMD reports, the particular danger for teens is not the risky behaviors themselves, but in how the teenage brain is wired. Because of developments to the emotional and social brain centers that begin in puberty, teens are particularly vulnerable to peer pressure and the desire to take risks. Not only do teens have more difficulty controlling their own biological urges to try new things (risky or not), but this difficulty increases when they are surrounded by peers. For this reason, parents must stay informed about threats in order to equip their teens to make wise and healthy choices during these challenging years.

Here are five present-day threats to talk to your teen about.

The Cinnamon Challenge

This newest teen threat is potentially deadly. The cinnamon challenge is spreading so quickly thanks to YouTube and other Internet social communities. The goal of the cinnamon challenge is to swallow one tablespoon of cinnamon within 60 seconds without the aid of any fluids to wash it down. This often causes coughing, choking and then a gagging reflex that can lead to aspiration and death. Because cinnamon is so fine, a coughing fit will send it into the nostrils. Inhaling cinnamon burns the nasal cavities. Cinnamon trapped in the lungs can permanently damage the lungs in the form of lesions, lung scarring and even lung collapse.

The Gallon Challenge

“The gallon challenge” is inspired by a stunt performed in the hit movie inspired by the MTV series, “Jackass.” Less deadly than the cinnamon challenge, the gallon challenge is harmful in its own right. A person attempts to chug an entire gallon of milk within an hour, which places tremendous stress on the physical body. The human body is unable to process such a large influx of dairy in such a short period of time. Intense gastrointestinal distress, vomiting, diarrhea and other side effects inevitably follow the chugging.

The Chubby Bunny

The name may sound harmless, but the chubby bunny challenge surely is not. Teens cram marshmallows into their mouths, all the while saying the words “chubby bunny.” This challenge can be particularly fatal because marshmallows can block airways. At least one teen has died from attempting the chubby bunny challenge.

The Ice and Salt Challenge

The “ice and salt challenge” has not yet proved deadly, but physical consequences include severe pain, blistering, frostbite and scarring. The challenge is to wet a patch of skin, add salt and then hold ice on the salt for as long as possible. The point is to prove tolerance to pain, so teens often persist long past the point of physical injury.

Water Chugging

There is no doubt that “the water chugging challenge” can be deadly. When the human body is forced to process more water than it is biologically equipped to handle, a syndrome known as “water intoxication” can occur. The abundance of water dilutes the blood, and brain swelling, aspiration, coma and death have occurred.

With awareness of these and other dangerous teen challenges, as a parent you can be proactive about informing your teen of the risks and supporting them in resisting peer pressure.

About the Author:

Cari Newsom is a mom to two teens. She holds a masters in criminal justice and works in the adolescent criminal justice system.