The latest fad in food challenges, the cinnamon challenge, has reached everyone from NBS players to the governor of Illinois.

The challenge involves trying to swallow a teaspoon of cinnamon in one minute without water.

The problem with the stunt is that the spice can easily get stuck in the throat and cause gagging and vomiting. Doctors told Yahoo this can be dangerous because the cinnamon can prevent air from reaching the lungs. It is an obvious choking hazard and there is a risk of inhaling the dust. This certainly is not advisable, a spokesman from the Food and Drug Administration told Yahoo.

Schools across the country are warning parents and staff about the dangers of this fad. The kids all know about this from the Internet but the parents have no idea, principal at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Mich., Arthur Williams told Yahoo. He emailed parents after a student was recently hospitalized because of lung problems after trying the challenge.

Although the challenge has existed for a year, it has just recently sparked interest. Over 30,000 cinnamon challenge videos have been uploaded to YouTube, the most popular having almost ten million views.

Michigan Yahoo YouTube