Following recent tragic events at the beloved business Voodoo Doughnuts’ location in Colorado, people are finding themselves questioning the true level of security they possess in recreational eating practices. Travis Malouff of Denver died on April 2 after choking amidst the 80-second eating challenge, in which a patron attempts to consume a half-pound donut within the time limit. Not only has this shed further light on recent cases of death in amateur eating competitions, but the extent to which people will endanger themselves on a daily basis for the sake of a bet.

Whilst challenges such as the one Voodoo Doughnuts offered until its recent suspension are relatively few and far between, students will disregard their personal sense of preservation for a few laughs much more frequently. Case in point sits the popular lunch pastime and boredom-filler, the classic juvenile game of “chubby bunny.” In this game, participants try to stuff marshmallows or other small food items into their mouth one at a time, repeating the phrase “chubby bunny” with each addition. The point is to prove one’s ability to fit the most in their mouth whilst still being able to speak discernibly, and at surface value is just a silly competition of bragging-rights and absurd facial distortion. However, the same level of choking hazard is present as in any notoriously risky eating challenge. The simple fact of the matter is, as innocent and benign as it is in intention, “chubby bunny” poses a serious threat to the lives of incautious teens.