There’s been a lot of media attention in the last few days about snorting Smarties candy, after a school in Rhode Island sent home a letter warning parents about the dangers.
This is not a new trend; kids have been snorting candy for a long time. While there are some minor health concerns, especially for kids who have asthma, much of the coverage has been overblown–kids are not going to have maggots growing in their noses.
As our director, Dr. Karen Simone, explained in an article in the Bangor Daily News, what parents should be concerned about is that kids are imitating drug-abuse behavior:
“My biggest concern would be that these kids at this age are thinking that it’s cool to pretend that they’re abusing drugs,” Simone said.
This is a good opportunity for parents to talk to their kids about drug abuse. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has resources for parents.
