In a troubling trend that gives the phrase "nose candy" a new meaning, health experts and school officials say they are seeing a rising number of children snorting candy Smarties, according to
Science World Report.
In Portsmouth, Rhode Island, parents recently received a disturbing letter from their children's school warning that some kids were crushing Smarties candy into powder they then inhale through their noses or "smoke" by taking a mouthful and exhaling it through their noses.
"Dr. Oren Friedman, a Mayo Clinic nose specialist, has cautioned that frequent snorting could even rarely lead to maggots feeding on the sugary dust wedged inside the nose," the letter warned, according to local blogger John McDaid.
According to the
New York Daily News, children at a Hamburg, N.Y., middle school were caught snorting Smarties last year.
Health and school officials say the trend glorifies the inhalation of illicit drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, and smashed up prescription pills.
Inhaling candy particles can cause lung infections, wheezing, chronic cough, asthma, sinus complications, or even potentially life-threatening allergic reactions, health experts warn.