"It's pretty far out there," said Laura Orvidas, a pediatric ear, nose and throat doctor at the Mayo Clinic Children's Center. Perhaps the most striking risk mentioned - nasal maggots - is actually a highly unlikely scenario. "That's much more Internet memes than it is sober advice from a school." "Respiratory arrest? Maggots in your nose?" McDaid said, who posted the school's e-mail on his blog. John McDaid, the father of an eighth-grader and a citizen journalist who blogs at Hard Deadlines, said neither he nor his son had ever heard of any incident involving Smarties at the school. One Portsmouth parent called the e-mail "overkill." The snorting mimics sniffing cocaine, but "the 'benefit' for students engaging in this practice is unknown," according to the school's e-mail. USA TODAY Network left multiple messages with Portsmouth School District requesting a comment. It's unclear whether any incidents of Smarties-snorting prompted the school's notices. Then they either put the powder into their mouths and exhale into their nostrils, or snort the powder through a straw or rolled-up piece of paper, according to the notice. To snort Smarties, students first ground the candy into a powder. The school also warns parents about risks including allergies, scarring of the nasal cavity and a "precursor to future cigarette smoking and drug use." A search for "snorting Smarties" on YouTube nets more than 1,300 results, with several how-to video clips, and some with students snorting the candy while in a classroom. Portsmouth MIddle School officials in Portsmouth, R.I., told parents that snorting the fruit-flavored, tablet candy can lead to infection, laryngospasms and even maggots.Ī notice e-mailed on Jan.16 to parents points to the influence of YouTube videos. Watch Video: 3rd grader suspended for sniffing SmartiesĪ Rhode Island school is warning parents about students snorting crushed-up Smarties.
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