An activity that was the subject of “condom-nation” five years ago is supposedly making a comeback: snorting condoms up one’s nose.
The “condom snorting challenge,” as it is called, requires participants to video themselves snorting an unrolled condom up one nostril and then pull it through the mouth.
Although the activity was first reported back in 2013, it’s apparently returned unlike other bizarre but forgotten internet fads from that era like planking, Tebowing, owling and Vadering.
Stephen Enriquez, an education specialist in Texas, told San Antonio station KABB that condom snorting is coming back because the extreme activity can help teenagers make a name for themselves on social media.
“Because these days our teens are doing everything for likes, views and subscribers,” Enriquez said. “As graphic as it is, we have to show parents because teens are going online looking for challenges and recreating them.”
In an article for Forbes, Bruce Y. Lee, associate professor of international health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, warns there are numerous reasons why people should turn up their noses at condom snorting.
These include risks like damaging the inner lining of the nose, getting an infection or choking if the condom gets stuck in the throat.
All of these add up to one burning question for Lee.
“Welcome to 2018,” he said. “Who knew that teens would need to be told not to use condoms?”