If you have teens in your house, it's essential to keep an eye on your spice rack!

Cinnamon, nutmeg and marshmallows are often used by teenagers to play risky games.

The "Cinnamon Challenge" usually starts with teenagers daring one another to swallow a spoonful of powdered cinnamon without drinking any water. Swallowing cinnamon can cause gagging, vomiting, coughing and choking, as well as throat irritation.

The concern with the Cinnamon Challenge is that the cinnamon quickly dries out the mouth, making swallowing difficult. As a result, teens who engage in this activity often choke and vomit, injuring their mouths, throats and lungs. Those with asthma and other respiratory conditions have suffered more serious consequences. Teens who accidently breathe the cinnamon into their lungs also risk getting pneumonia as a result.

Kids are also snorting, smoking and eating large quantities of nutmeg to produce a marijuana-like high. The spice contains a hallucinogenic called "Myristicin".

Nutmeg's harmful effects include anxiety, dizziness, confusion, headache, hallucinations, seizures, stupor, nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst, double vision, chest pressure, numbness, coma and even death. In pregnant women, the spice has been known to induce abortion.

"Chubby Bunny" is another popular game being seen in emergency rooms and on YouTube. Teenagers stuff as many marshmallows in their mouth as possible and then try to say "Chubby Bunny." At least two children have died from playing this game so far.

Always keep an eye on children and teens to make sure they're not misusing any of these ingredients. For questions or concerns, call the Texas Poison Center Network experts at 1-800-222-1222.

Visit us Online

Order Free Materials

Watch out for scary berries!

There are many toxic berries out there, but one of the most concerning is the Chinaberry. The ingestion of only 6-8 berries can be fatal in a child. Although these berries can be found in Texas, the fatalities reported have been from eating the African species, which are not found in Texas. If you ever find your child (or an adult) snacking on any wild berries, please call one of the experts at the Texas Poison Center Network 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 1-800-222-1222.

A recent study showed that using a kitchen spoon to measure medication results in administering a higher dose 12% of the time and a lower dose 8% of the time. That's because kitchen spoons are made for style/appearance or for eating-NOT for the important job of measuring out medicine. Some prescription liquid medications like painkillers or heart medication can be dangerous if a little extra is given even once. Over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Advil®) are often given every 4-6 hours for several days, meaning a small increase can be multiplied over time.

To avoid overdosing or underdosing, make sure to use a dosing device that measures in milliliters. Don't throw away the dosing cup that comes with over-the-counter meds.

Check your pharmacy bag before you leave the counter and if there isn't a dosing device included with your liquid medication, ask for one.

By the way, have you ever taken a swig out of a medicine bottle instead of measuring it out? There is a reason the back of your cough syrup does not say, 'take 2 good size mouthfuls twice daily" so don't do that either! As always, call the experts at the Texas Poison Center Network for questions about medications at 1-800-222-1222.