It’s things like the Cinnamon Challenge that strengthen my belief that people will do the dumbest things if they think it’s cool. Because who in their right mind would want to stuff their face with a tablespoon full of cinnamon just for fun? The answer – thousands. And would you believe the Governor of Illinois is one of them? Yep, Gov. Pat Quinn took in a spoonful of that stuff on air, in response to a challenge. He followed his act with the words, “The will of the people. The law of the land.” I don’t know about you, but I’d think twice before giving him my vote. Right now, there are over 30,000 videos on YouTube tagged ‘Cinnamon Challenge’. The most popular ones have millions of views.

The Cinnamon Challenge is basically a dare to swallow a spoonful of cinnamon in powdered form, without water. It’s the latest rage and it has gone beyond viral. The challenge itself has been around for years, but the sudden spike in its popularity remains unexplained. It seems like a simple thing to do; just swallow the stuff and be done with it. In reality, however, it isn’t all that easy. The problem with cinnamon is that it does not break down easily. So the chances of it getting stuck in the throat are pretty high, causing gagging and even vomiting. Doctors have said that this could be very dangerous, because cinnamon can also prevent air from entering the lungs, which could lead to lung inflammation.

Photo: artizone

Schools all over the US are warning parents and teachers about the dangers of swallowing cinnamon. But what are kids to do when adult ‘role-models’ are swarming all over the place. There are others like the Illinois Governor who won’t think twice before doing silly things like this. One of the Cinnamon Challenge videos belongs to Washington Wizards players – Nick Young and JaVale McGee. The video was rebroadcast on popular ABC show Good Morning America. It’s no wonder that kids get inspired to do the same. A school in Pottstown, Pa., has had three incidents of students taking the cinnamon challenge since January. Students have been caught smuggling vials of cinnamon into school in their boots.

The challenge is certainly outrageous, but I have to admit it’s also mildly entertaining. I watched this one video of YouTube comedian Glozell who used a super-size spoon of cinnamon, and I thought her experience was pretty funny, but that doesn’t make up for the fact that it’s a pretty stupid thing to do.