Smoking Smarties, really?

Someone sent me this article today about children "smoking" the candy Smarties. Apparently the newest fad for grade school kids is to "smoke" smarties. When I first started reading this, I wondered how the hell do you smoke a smarty? Do they even burn? Do the kids roll them with their own papers? So I read the article and watched the video.

Apparently, the kids crush the  Smarties and open one end o fthe package. After that they partially open the other end like a cigarette. Then they puff the sugar into their mouth and then let it come out, which looks like they are smoking. 

The Today Show did a segment about this, because some parents are in an uproar about the whole thing. They think kids pretending like they are smoking, is a precursor to actual smoking. Some schools have banned Smarties, and if a kid is caught with them they will be suspended. Maybe its because I live in North Idaho and we are generally a little slower to catch on to the fads, but seriously? 

When  I was in grade school my cousins and I loved to "dare" each other to snort pixie stix. I guess it is a miracle that I didn't grow up and move onto blow and a life of prostitution. I'm guessing that a lot of adults, and kids didn't even know about this "fad" until they put it on the Today Show... But I suppose the media is just doing their job reporting the important hard hitting news like kids fake smoking.

The bigger question is: how do I know if my kid is addicted to Smarties cigarettes? Do their grades plummet? Is their health compromised? Do they develop a "Smarties" cough?

I'm sorry but kids pretend shit all the time, thats their job. The real concern here is that a little kid can create a "how to video" post it on You Tube, and spread his stupidity around the planet. I think that is far scarier than pretending to smoke.