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Mom blames ice-cold Dragons Breath cereal for sons asthma attack. Heres what health officials say
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Health officials are warning consumers to stay away from Dragons Breath, a liquid nitrogen-dipped cereal thats become a trendy snack in recent weeks. - photo by Herb Scribner
Stay away from Dragons Breath.

That's the message from a Florida mother, who told News4Jax that her son suffered an asthma attack after consuming Dragon's Breath, a liquid nitrogen-dipped cereal thats become a trendy snack in recent weeks.

The mother, Rachael McKenny, said her son and his friends visited the mall and tasted the snack. Ten minutes later, her son had an asthma attack and didnt have his inhaler.

Around 20 minutes in, the cough became really consistent. By the time we passed the Palencia subdivision, he was coughing so bad that he was having trouble catching his breath, she wrote on Facebook. We knew he couldnt breathe, and we knew that we couldnt get him to the hospital in time.

"My son could have died. Please do not make the same mistake I did," McKenny posted on her Facebook page.

The frosty cereal snack became a trend on YouTube and Instagram videos from teenagers, who would show off their smoke breathing techniques after eating the cold cereal. The snacks temperatures running between minus-196 and minus-320 degrees put people at the highest risk.

Health officials are warning consumers to stay away from Dragons Breath.

The cold snack, which tastes like Fruit Loops and causes eaters to exhale foglike smoke, can cause a number of health problems, including frostbite, skin tissue damage and even suffocation, according to the New York Post.

New Yorks Suffolk County Commissioner of Health Services James Tomarken said in a statement that people need to avoid the snack.

If an item infused with liquid nitrogen is prepared or consumed incorrectly, it could have harmful health consequences, he said. Liquid nitrogen can cause damage to a persons skin and internal organs and, if inhaled, it can cause asphyxiation (lack of oxygen).

Tomarksen sent out a warning to the New York state health department in June to announce the product could injure people.

Instances of frostbite and tissue damage have been reported when residual liquid nitrogen is left in the serving cup. If fingers are used to remove the product from the cup, skin contact with liquid nitrogen can cause frostbite, the state health department said.

Ingestion of liquid nitrogen can cause severe damage to the mouth, esophagus, and stomach. Preparing the puffs in a manner that removes residual liquid nitrogen prior to serving effectively reduces the potential for injury.

Last October, a 14-year-old Florida girl went to the hospital after she suffered a severe burn once she touched the ice-cold treat.