New teen dare proves harmful

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - The next dangerous dare for teens involves simple household items.
     
It's called the 'Salt and Ice Challenge.'
     
Kids will put salt on their skin and then put a cube of ice on top.
     
While it sounds harmless, the chemical reaction can cause serious damage.

"The longer you leave it on the more burning you're going to have," said Dr. John Bolinger, Chief Medical Officer at Union Hospital. "The more thickness of your skin that's going to be involved, and you could actually get second or third degree like burns where you get a lot of blistering like damage."

It works like this: Salt lowers the freezing temperature of ice, making it colder. The reaction also draws the heat from the skin, making it more susceptible to frostbite. It's a dangerous combination.

We looked up videos of teens performing the stunt on YouTube. Many had painful reactions.

"Kids push themselves to do things they wouldn't normally do." said Dr. Bollinger. "In the media age when they see all these things being done on YouTube and other websites, it becomes even more popular."

While the fad may fade, the injuries that can come with it can last for a lifetime.