Condom Snorting Challenge
For most of its history, condoms have been used as a birth control method. It can add being the subject of a dangerous challenge called the “condom snorting.” The dare, like most that permeate social media these days, has been done by teenagers for years but gained media attention in early 2018.
What is “condom snorting”?
The idea is to “snort” a condom on one side of your nose, inhale it until it gets to your throat, and pull it out of your mouth. It sounds ridiculous but that's probably the reason it appeals to the young kids of today.
With lives revolving around the internet and a desire to achieve some level of fame, it's not difficult to see how something so stupid can become really popular.
Although it received lots of media attention, the condom snorting challenge isn't even new. An article was written about it for ABC News in 2013, which highlighted a YouTube video from 2007.
Awareness about the “challenge”
With parents not really knowing what their children are up to while on the web, it's up to professionals like education specialist Stephen Enriquez to spread information. Enriquez admits the videos are graphic in nature, but advocates for them to be shown to parents.
Social media use occupies large swathes of teenagers' time, and some have gone on to do anything just for the sake of getting likes or increasing subscribers. Challenges like snorting a condom may sound fun, but getting something in your nose is incredibly painful.
Is pain truly the price of fame?
Teenagers like to try things that are fun and exciting, but parents also need to guide their children towards activities that don't pose a threat to their lives.
A condom can either get stuck in your nose or your throat, leading to breathing problems and choking.
A medical case in 2004 saw a woman have her right lung collapse and get pneumonia after accidentally inhaling a condom during oral sex.
Another case involved a woman unintentionally swallow a condom, which got to her appendix causing her to suffer from appendicitis.