The “salt and ice” challenge has gone viral again, but please don’t try it
There have been several harebrained crazes floating around over the past couple of years that kids take part in and subsequently get injured from. The latest to catch parents’ attention (and worry them as a result) is the “salt and ice” challenge. Apparently, it’s a game in which teens rub salt and ice on their arms or their hands to simulate the kinds of burns you would get from frostbite.
We don’t know why exactly kids would want to participate in any sort of challenge like this, but it’s been picking up popularity all over social media. Individuals are posting pictures of the swollen, red cuts and burns on their body, using the hashtag #saltandicechallenge to share their experiences. There are even videos floating around YouTube, which have been around since 2012. Some have been watched 6.5 million times.
The NSPCC has been sending out messages of caution in an attempt to protect kids from inadvertently hurting themselves with this game, especially considering the fact that a mother had to bring her son to the hospital in the U.K. due to nerve damage caused by the game. They’re trying to warn parents about the dangers of the salt and ice challenge in order to prevent any future injuries.
These kinds of games kids play may sound innocent, but they can have deadly consequences. Take the Chubby Bunny challenge, for example, in which individuals stuff their face with as many marshmallows as possible and say the phrase, “Chubby Bunny.” A sixth grader actually choked and died from playing it with her friends at school, and her parents sued the school district for not better supervising the students. They were awarded $2 million in damages.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPWNTO5gtoe
Hopefully, the NSPCC will get the message across to all the parents and prevent any serious damage from happening to any kids.
