Cinnamon Challenge Warning: Participants Hospitalized With Choking, Lung Problems
Doctors have warned that a new craze called "The Cinnamon Challenge," whereby people swallow a spoonful of cinnamon without water, could kill someone.
People thinking of participating in the new stunt sweeping the country have been told that someone could potentially choke. Already some people have been admitted to hospital after taking part in the craze, but so far warnings have fallen on deaf ears. Teenagers, adults, and even the Governor of Illinois and two NBA basketball players are known to have taken part.
More than 30,000 videos of people doing the challenge have emerged on YouTube with one receiving nearly 9 million views. The stunt usually makes people have a coughing fit, gag and in some cases vomit. People can be seen coughing up huge clouds of cinnamon dust as those watching laugh.
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However, now people are being warned after reports document participants being admitted to hospital with lung problems, according to The Daily Mail.
Pat Quinn, the Governor of Illinois, has been criticized for encouraging the craze after he took part in the cinnamon challenge live on a Chicago radio show last month. However, it is unclear whether he was aware of the potential dangers at that time, and he also is said to have taken a swig of water after putting the cinnamon in his mouth.
Comedienne Colleen Ballinger has also attempted the challenge. However, she has since warned against others doing it, telling the Wall Street Journal: "I thought everyone was being dramatic. But you really do feel like you're suffocating."
