Beware of the Dragon Breath

By Dennette Bailey

If you have been reading my blogs, you know I love to tell you about my vacations. I recently took a very relaxing trip to Myrtle Beach. As my family and I walked around downtown we noticed the places that screamed “You are on vacation! Money is no object!” These included  places called “Sugar Life” and “I Love Sugar” where you can buy every sort of colorful candy and ice cream you image. They are places to have your hands molded because maybe you want to remember your hand exactly the way it was when you were having a great vacation, places to have caricatures drawn, pictures taken, and of course there are the people who want to talk to you “real quick” and offer you free tickets to some attraction if you listen to a short 90 minute high sales pitch to buy a time share (they are called vacations ownerships now). The newest attraction though, was a place selling what appeared to be little balls of ice-cream. When a person eats them they can exhale smoke reminiscent of a dragon blowing out smoke. Hence the name, Dragon Breath.

I am starting to wonder if I am becoming- like- old because my first inclination was that this has to be dangerous. However, since I still seem to be using the word- like- I am going to erase that thought from my mind.

There is no intention on my part to disrupt the business of Dragon Breath (there are locations popping up now locally as well), but I decided to research this product and share my findings so parents could make an informed decision before sharing it with youngsters. This product is basically puff cereal with liquid nitrogen poured over it so it gives the appearance of eating a frozen treat. A variety of sauces can also be purchased as toppings. You should, however, take the signs of caution that the establishment displays very seriously. There were several signs at the establishment I visited that warned not to touch the product with bare hands. Moreover, the young lady at the counter actually gave instructions on how to safely eat the product which left me wondering how it could be safe to put in in one’s mouth.

There are reports of people suffering complications from the product such as burning in the mouth, stomach, and esophagus. Also, a recent news report even reported a child‘s asthma attack being triggered by the product.

I think the most concerning aspect about this popular dessert is that while advertised as giving one the opportunity to maybe live out the fantasy to blow smoke like a dragon, it most reminded me of the smoke tricks done by one smoking a cigarette. There are so many efforts to try to dissuade people, especially young people, from smoking and now there appears to be a product that gives the appearance of the smoke tricks one could do after taking puffs from a cigarette. As parents, we want our children to have fun and when we are on vacation we may even let our guards down to ensure a great time. But whether you are becoming an old fogey (I’m not because I still insert the word –like- in a sentence for no good reason) or you are young and hip and just want to have fun – be cautious with the Dragon Breath!