THE REST OF THE STORY: On one of the wintry weather days in February that shut down schools, KARK-TV, Channel 4 morning show co-host D.J. Williams suggested activities for children at home. One was eating a spoonful of cinnamon.
Dr. Beth Storm, a pediatrician at Arkansas Children's Hospital, immediately called the station, which retracted the suggestion by Williams, former tight end for the Arkansas Razorbacks, and warned of the hazards of eating the spice in this manner.
The hospital posted a warning on its Facebook page: "While this may seem harmless, ingesting such quantities of cinnamon can be very dangerous, even fatal, for children. Please do not participate in this activity, and make sure your kiddos know of its dangers."
KARK posted a thanks to the hospital on its Facebook page.
"D.J. had heard about the 'cinnamon challenge' but wasn't aware of the negative consequences," Austin Kellerman, KARK's news director, tells Paper Trails. "He quickly made an on-air correction, a correction was posted on social media, and he met with hospital officials at his choosing to better educate himself on the issue."
The hospital's post amassed more than 1,500 likes, more than 3,500 shares and dozens of viewers' comments. The cinnamon challenge has been around for about a decade, but in recent years, increasingly more adolescents have participated in the dare to eat a spoonful of the spice within 30 seconds. They often film one another and post the videos online.
A report in the Journal of Pediatrics in 2013 found that the increase in the popularity of the stunt had led to a rise in emergency room visits and calls to poison control centers.
Cinnamon, in small amounts, is harmless and possibly even healthy, but it can be caustic to the airways when inhaled, causing inflammation and scarring of the lungs.
Storm, an emergency room specialist, said the dare especially can be harmful to anyone with an underlying chronic lung disease.
"Especially those who have a condition such as asthma, which is quite common here in Arkansas," she said, adding that a 2013 study of rats revealed that just one instance of inhaling a large amount of the spice can lead to progressive lung disease.
A RECORD COUP: Musician Todd Rundgren will make a special visit to the Arkansas Record-CD Exchange on MacArthur Drive in North Little Rock on April 18, when he'll sign copies of his latest album, Global, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Coincidentally, his appearance falls on the store's annual celebration of Record Store Day.
A SWING AND A MISS: Larry Foley, earlier noted here regarding a documentary he's filming on the birth of baseball spring training in Hot Springs, was misidentified. Foley is a broadcast journalism professor and chairman of the University of Arkansas' Lemke Department of Journalism in Fayetteville.
Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501) 399-3636 or lhaymes@arkansasonline.com
SundayMonday on 03/08/2015