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Dangerous YouTube dares have been sweeping the nation for several years and now one from 2012 appears to be back – The Salt and Ice Challenge!

This challenge involves pouring salt on a participant’s arm, then applying an ice cube to the spot to test one’s pain tolerance. As a part of the “game,” kids are seeing who can stand the pain the longest and are posting photos of their burns to social media as proof.

                                                                  

 

 

 

 

 

The temperature of the ice cubes is about 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the salt is added, the temperature drops more than 25 degrees. Doctors say at first it will burn, but as the salt causes the ice’s temperature to drop, it gets cold enough to mimic frostbite. As a result, the skin is susceptible to large welts or blisters, second- and third-degree burns, permanent skin damage, and nerve damage. In worst case scenarios, it can lead to skin grafts and possibly surgery.

The Salt and Ice Challenge may have resurfaced as the latest craze, but it’s not the only one in recent years. Two years ago, it was the “Fire Challenge” in which teens pour some form of flammable liquid on their body and light it to set themselves on fire. They then have to find a way to extinguish the flames quickly before they are seriously burned. The “Cinnamon Challenge” consisted of teens trying to swallow a spoon of cinnamon powder without using water or other liquids to wash it down, resulting in choking. Before that was the “Choking Game” in which teens are encouraged to literally strangle themselves, cutting off their air supply until they pass out.

Parents is talk to your kids about the dangers of this and other dangerous challenges found on social media. Help them understand that what appears a seemingly fun game is no laughing matter; it can result in serious or life threatening consequences.

Mark Bello is the CEO and General Counsel of Lawsuit Financial Corporation, a pro-justice lawsuit funding company.

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