Dear Kid,

You’ve probably heard of the Cinnamon Challenge. I just heard about it for the first time today. It’s probably taken this long because a) I am old and b) there are some things that would just never occur to me to ask about. (Hey! Anyone heard anything recently about gnawing on oak tree bark?)

Just in case you’ve missed this current bit of I-Dare-You insanity, the Cinnamon Challenge is a dare in which one non-thinking individual tries to swallow a tablespoon of powdered cinnamon in 60 without the benefit of food or liquid around the cinnamon.

And just in case you haven’t had your morning caffeine yet, let me point out the obvious:

1. A tablespoon is a LOT of cinnamon.
2. Plain cinnamon tastes bad. Kind of like cinnamon flavored dust. Why would you eat it on purpose?
3. Eating cinnamon is difficult. It is light, fluffy, powdery stuff. You are more likely to inhale it. Which is very bad (see below).
4. Eating (or attempting to swallow) plain cinnamon does not prove you’re a stud or that you’re qualified for a job that pays enough to cover the interest on your student loans.
5. Inhaling cinnamon (which is what happens when you gag on the stuff which is pretty much inevitable) can damage your lungs (seriously–you are not entitled to a replacement pair), your liver, your clothes, and your reputation.

If you need more scientific reasons, I can point out (by which I mean plagiarize from Forbes magazine): The chemical that gives cinnamon its characteristic smell and zing is known as cinnamon aldehyde, or cinnamaldehyde. This means there’s a part of the chemical that acts like formaldehyde that binds and “fixes” human tissue. I won’t say more except to point out that Booker was fixed when he was a baby.

Continue to enjoy cinnamon in your latte, in rice pudding, on the occasional piece of toast, and whatnot. But please pass when it is delivered directly from the container on a measuring spoon.

Love, Mom