#CinnamonChallenge

A dangerous viral challenge where participants attempt to swallow a spoonful of ground cinnamon in under 60 seconds without drinking anything.

Quick Facts

Origin Story

The Cinnamon Challenge predates the hashtag era, with the earliest documented videos appearing on YouTube around 2007. Its origins are murky, likely emerging from dare culture and college party challenges. The premise was deceptively simple: swallow a spoonful of ground cinnamon without water in under 60 seconds.

What participants didn’t initially realize was that this is physiologically nearly impossible. Ground cinnamon is hydrophobic (repels water) and extremely fine. When dry cinnamon hits saliva, it forms a thick, choking paste. The body’s natural response is to gag and expel it in a dramatic cloud of cinnamon, often accompanied by coughing fits.

The visual spectacle of people gagging and spraying cinnamon clouds made for compelling, shareable content. Early videos showed the characteristic sequence: confident consumption, immediate distress, explosive cinnamon spray, and prolonged coughing. This “guaranteed funny reaction” formula drove the challenge’s spread.

The challenge remained relatively niche until 2011-2012, when it exploded on social media. Celebrities, athletes, and millions of regular users posted attempts. The hashtag #CinnamonChallenge consolidated what had been scattered “cinnamon” searches into a unified viral phenomenon.

Timeline

2007-2010

• Early isolated videos appear on YouTube
• Challenge exists in college dare/party culture
• Slowly accumulates videos without coordinated hashtag

2011

• Social media adoption begins
• Twitter hashtag emerges and consolidates searches
• Vine’s launch (January 2013) would later amplify it

2012

• Massive viral explosion begins
• Thousands of videos posted weekly
• Celebrities and athletes participate
• First major medical warnings issued (March 2012)

2013

• Peak participation despite medical warnings
• March 2013: Pediatrics journal publishes study documenting dangers
• April 2013: American Association of Poison Control Centers issues formal warning
• Media coverage intensifies focus on health risks
• Participation begins declining after medical coverage

2014

• Natural decline as dangers become widely known
• YouTube begins suppressing promotion of dangerous challenges
• Challenge transitions to cautionary tale status

2015-2017

• Occasional attempts continue
• Emergency room visits still reported
• Used as example in social media safety education

2018-Present

• Recognized as historic dangerous challenge
• Referenced in discussions of harmful viral trends
• Platform policies cite Cinnamon Challenge in dangerous content guidelines

Cultural Impact

The Cinnamon Challenge became a definitive case study in viral challenges causing physical harm. Unlike accidents during challenges (planking falls, etc.), the Cinnamon Challenge’s danger was intrinsic to the act itself. This made it a clearer example of deliberately harmful content spreading virally.

Medical professionals and poison control centers mobilized in response, marking one of the first times the healthcare community systematically addressed a viral social media trend. The 2013 Pediatrics journal study documented 222 cinnamon challenge-related calls to poison control centers in the first half of 2012 alone, with 30 requiring medical attention.

The challenge demonstrated the power of spectacle in viral content. The dramatic visual of cinnamon clouds being expelled was intrinsically shareable, overriding rational safety concerns. This spectacle-over-safety dynamic would recur in subsequent dangerous challenges.

For platforms, the Cinnamon Challenge helped shape content moderation policies around dangerous activities. YouTube, Facebook, and others developed guidelines specifically addressing challenge videos that encourage self-harm, using the Cinnamon Challenge as a reference case.

Notable Moments

• GloZell’s video: YouTuber GloZell Green’s 2012 video (30M+ views) became the most famous version, showing her dramatic distress
• Shaquille O’Neal attempts it: NBA legend’s video brought mainstream sports attention
• Illinois Governor video: Governor Pat Quinn’s parody/PSA warning against the challenge
• Emergency room surge: March 2012 spike in ER visits caught media attention
• Pediatrics journal study: March 2013 medical publication legitimized health concerns
• Collapsed lung cases: Several participants suffered pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
• Death hoax: False reports of deaths from the challenge spread, actually reflecting serious lung damage cases

Controversies

Medical dangers: The challenge posed genuine health risks. Cinnamon can cause choking, throat irritation, breathing difficulties, and in severe cases, aspiration pneumonia when cinnamon enters the lungs. Some participants experienced collapsed lungs, scarring, and lasting respiratory issues.

Poison control surge: The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported 139 calls related to the challenge in 2012 alone (up from 51 in 2011). This overwhelmed systems meant for accidental poisonings.

Platform responsibility: Critics argued YouTube and other platforms promoted dangerous content by featuring challenge videos in recommendations and trending sections. Platforms were slow to respond with warnings or removal.

Parental supervision failures: Many videos featured young children attempting the challenge, clearly with parental knowledge or participation. This raised questions about parental judgment and child endangerment.

Peer pressure dynamics: The challenge’s social nature created pressure to participate despite known risks, particularly among teenagers wanting to fit in or prove toughness.

Misinformation: Some participants and promoters downplayed risks, claiming it was “just cinnamon” and dismissing medical warnings as overreaction.

Marketing concerns: Cinnamon brands distanced themselves from the challenge, fearing association with harm.

Variations & Related Tags

• #Cinnamon - Generic tag often used
• #CinnamonChallengeFail - Failed/dramatic attempts (basically all of them)
• #CinnamonChoking - Descriptive of typical outcome
• #DontDoCinnamonChallenge - Warning campaigns
• #CinnamonDanger - Medical/safety warnings
• #ChallengeGoneWrong - Broader dangerous challenge category

By The Numbers

• Total videos posted: 2+ million (estimated, 2007-2014)
• YouTube views for “cinnamon challenge”: Billions (aggregate)
• GloZell’s video views: 30+ million
• Poison Control calls (2012): 139 cases
• Medical attention required: 30+ cases (documented in 2012 study)
• Peak monthly videos: 100,000+ (early 2012)
• Emergency room visits: Hundreds (estimated 2012-2013)
• Respiratory complications: Dozens of serious cases documented

References

• Pediatrics journal study (March 2013): Grant-Alfieri et al.
• American Association of Poison Control Centers reports
• YouTube video archives (2007-present)
• Emergency medicine case studies
• CDC injury prevention data
• Contemporary media coverage (CNN, ABC News, NPR)
• Social media platform policy documents

Last updated: February 2026 Part of the Hashpedia project — hashpedia.org