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Real-Life 'Twilight' Saga: Teens Sucking Each Other's Blood
Filed under: News, In The News, Weird But True, Teen Culture, Health & Safety: Teens, Behavior: Teens, New In Pop Culture
Bella and Edward wannabe couples are all about love bites. Credit: Karunpillai, Summit Entertainment
Inspired by the "Twilight" series and heartthrob vampire Edward Cullen's chilly charms, teens are taking their love nips a little too far, MSNBC reports, biting each other -- hard -- and then licking the blood.
Bizarre teen behavior has horrified parents for generations, but health officials and other experts are warning this vampire-inspired Count Dracula fad could have serious consequences.
"These are kids who think they are real vampires," Dr. Orly Avitzur, the medical advisor to Consumers Union, the agency that publishes Consumer Reports magazine, tells MSNBC.
And many teens are getting their blood-sucking fix on the Internet, Avitzur says, noting that sessions spent trolling vampire-related teen websites are on the rise. Groups such as "I drink blood," a category at experienceproject.com, and "I want to be a vampire" at the site 43things.com, are filled with apparent posts from young people with a yearning for hemoglobin.
"Having that thick, warm copper-tasting blood in my mouth is the best thing I can think of!" writes a teenager identified as "GothicGirl10" on MSNBC. "Sometimes my boyfriend lets me feed off him. I let him feed off me as well."
Such talk alarms medical experts, who warn about the dangers of blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis and HIV, as well as the risk of nasty infections. Typically, 10-15 percent of human bite wounds become infected, MSNBC reports.
"If you break the skin, your mouth is pretty dirty," Dr. Thomas Abshire, a pediatric blood and cancer specialist and spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics, tells MSNBC. "The human mouth flora is dirtier than a dog or cat's."
Also concerning is the fact that this biting is often done to brand another person, experts say.
"If you think about it, there is such glamorization in those teen vampire movies, they make it seem so sexy and appealing and intriguing," Avitzur says. "It's all mixed up with passion."











ReaderComments (Page 3 of 5)
9-28-2010 @ 12:34PM
TEZ said...ANOTHER FINE EXAMPLE OF MODERAN PARENTING
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9-28-2010 @ 12:50PM
L.Stewart said...ATTENTION ALL TEENS: Secret codes for internet communication, "sexting", now THIS...I Do not blame the parents; somehow we all like to think they are at fault. Some, maybe. But nobody is twisting your arms. You want to be treated as adults? Think you should have no restraints? What is YOUR DEGREE OF RESPONSIBILITY THIS time? Each of you: Do you want to be a burden to your family for the rest of your life? It only takes ONCE, people. If you want to be taken seriously, try growing up and joining the HUMAN RACE.
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9-28-2010 @ 12:43PM
Pat De Range said...Do they not realize that this is SO germy, they can get such infections from this, aside from it being disgusting ?
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9-28-2010 @ 12:47PM
Donna said...Hahahaha, If these people are dumb enough to do that then that's their problem. Why is everyone always in someone else's business in this country? Mind your own business. If they want to be STUPID and catch diseases or get sick or whatever, they are old enough to know better so leave them alone and let their parents handle it if they are under 16.
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9-28-2010 @ 12:51PM
l said...Anyone seen the latest "just bitten" REVLON commercials?
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9-28-2010 @ 12:51PM
Donna said...No, you just hear black people killing each other on the street corners. Much better teens there. lol
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9-28-2010 @ 1:43PM
Steve B said...I think movies, television, music, video games, as well as any other ad or advertisement needs to be scanned for subliminal messages. this is not normal behavior for anyone but Charles Manson. the things that the richest corporations in america produce and promote just to make a few dollars, are the very things that corrupt our daily lives. people get so wrapped up in cool and hip things along with fads and fashions, yet they are screaming everyday i wnt to be different!!! so why not take off the name brand, remove the logo, and just be YOU AND YOU ONLY!!! and please for God's sake please stop giving into all the gimmicks. twilight will be gone in a year or so and then what will be next? will you be like praying mantis and have sex and then eat your boyfriend all because it sounded good as an IDEA and not so good when it becomes REALITY? just think about it young people. do your thing. and old people you cantr find a solution until you fully understand the problem. be there for them and listen.
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9-28-2010 @ 1:00PM
john said...The Teens, remind you just 100 yrs ago were marrying and having children b/f turning 18 and responsible. Today they are more confused, scared, insecure and vulnerable than ever. Impressionable to so many things. The ones who feel unique, misunderstood, shy, introverted are most at risk to don these unusual things. They are at risk people. Identifying this early is so important, and they are not going to open up to parents for they fear thier thoughts will be minimized and not understood. Many teens also loath parents in this point of thier lives, who try to keep control and boundries so the teen wont fly off out of control. Identify it soon, dont be in denial, and get them into therapy fast. The dark magic, goth, now vampires all make a teen feel omnipodent, add drugs and alcohol . This also happened way back when LOST BOYS movie came out, to be cool Kiefer Southernland and have no controls, do what you want and no one can stop me attitude. Enough said
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9-28-2010 @ 1:27PM
LillieFaerie said...The really sad thing is the permanent damage that can be done by a human bite. Worse thant that is that hepatitis A, B, C can be transmitted. HIV and AIDS is a biggie as well. On top of that infectons of the worst form can start. Here is hoping they have good health insurance.
When we were kids, we used to scratch ourselves to become blood brothers. (Ah, Hollywood, what habits you teach us.)50 years ago, what diseases did we fear? Through books and example we learned to levitate our friends with a finger, all sorts of basic magical things, kids could do, right in the front yard with no worry. It wasn't called magic either. When I think back on all of the things that we did because we thought that we could do, how scary.
What is REALLY SCARY is the step from reality falling into their roleplay. I mean, we played, mystery sleuths in Mrs. Oliver's rock garden, we climbed the school, we played other realms in the woods and made our pacts of friendship by the pond, but nothing as scary dangerous as this. (or so it appears=climbing a 2 story building with no safety and blood brothering, that done now would have mother rules along with it. We were kids, no fear, good kids.
When roleplay becomes real life and it is difficult to know the line to bring one's self from imagination to the now, when it is a danger of transmission of disease, get them help, or slap 'em back to the reality of cold hard facts-that knowing your partner-intimately does not have to mean sex, blood, sweat and tears also transmits some nasty killer things. Make them understand that they can DIE A COSTLY DEATH, that biting and blood drinking (which doesn't digest so well) is not a cost-efficient, smart way of being young. Yeah, I know reality bites, but if you must, go to a medical library and look up human bites. That ought to make them stop.,
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9-28-2010 @ 1:05PM
david said...1)i drink blood & it has never had a copper taste to me.2)i don't bite people on the neck.i suck blood from the wrist & do not leave any marks.gothicgirl10 how about congealed blood. when a large amount of blood gets cold & thickens it is very tasty & dried blood is great as well.WE ONLY SUCK BLOOD FROM PEOPLE WE KNOW TO BE SAFE.
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9-28-2010 @ 1:31PM
Angel said...If you only knew that you were called to so much more than this. You were made to spend eternity with the Father, to be united with your loving Creator, not to harm the people that you call "friends" in this way. The peace you're seeking cannot be found in this destructive manner. It can only be found in the House of the Lord.
Christ is seeking you out. He loves you. He calls you. That nagging pull you feel inside of you isn't a longing to drink anothers blood, it is His call. Only by answering that call will you find lasting peace.
For Christ's sake I love and hope that you will find Him before too long.
9-28-2010 @ 3:29PM
Julie said...Sounds like a new, so far atypical, version of good old sadistic/masochistic behavior. Someone likes pain and someone likes inflicting it. (Do you use a vibrator at the same time, creep?) People who do this are a danger to themselves and/or others, and are mentally ill.
9-28-2010 @ 1:04PM
JEB BUCKINGHAM said...Jeez,.....whatever.
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9-28-2010 @ 1:16PM
kelly said...It's not Hollywood making crazy films that teens get into, its parents who allow the teens to go to some of these movies, and or, explained to them that its not to be done in real life or they will be punished. Were are the 'family units' now a days? You have to know who your child hangs out with all the time, you need to know where they are going, you need to call and make sure a parent is going to be at home for the party, you need to teach right and wrong, morals, independence, teach your children to have goals, to say NO, there is so much to teach them and its your responsiblity. My parents cared very much about what my sister and I did espcially in high school years. I was the one who snucked around more than my sister ever did. I was the one with all the perfect lies, I liked to party. But at the same time all the things my parents taught us stayed in me and I knew when to say NO, or I don't want to go to that party etc.., I liked making out a lot but knew that I was not going to let some teenage guy go all the way with me. I realized generations change all the time, but what teens do now and the way a majority of them act and back talk is shameful. I blame the parent(s). I was a high school educator for years and loved the majority of my students, but I have recently dropped teaching because the how the teens are now. I am so tired of discipling all day long and being called names and no parents hardly ever coming to meeting to find out how their child is doing. Look around at everything going wrong in this country now, why is that?
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9-28-2010 @ 1:34PM
Ana said...A parent shouldn't have to tell a teenager that sucking someone's blood is wrong and that vampires are fictional. That's common sense. The blame for this sort of behaviouir lies solely with the people commiting the act.
9-28-2010 @ 1:21PM
Keglera said...Ya know, maybe it's the parents fault who allow their kids to watch any damn thing on TV? Block the channels you don't want your child to watch from all the TV's and starve the stations.
Better yet, get rid of the TV's.....reading is more important.
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9-28-2010 @ 1:22PM
Michael said...This is very, very sick behavior and movies and TV have to censor these things and THINK about the message they are sending to young people. Just like everything else, they do it for the money, and to hell with what this is doing to our younger generation.
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10-02-2010 @ 12:59PM
Mattie said...Another reason to not have children!
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9-28-2010 @ 1:27PM
San Fernando Curt said...Maybe this is part of their training to become bankers.
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9-28-2010 @ 1:29PM
duir81 said...LOL I love all these comments suggesting how stupid these kids are for trying such a dangerous trend. You're all just as bloody stupid if you actually believe this is really happening. This "craze" is reported EVERY TIME the vampire makes a comeback in pop culture. It happened in the 80's thanks to the popularity of Anne Rice's works, and again in the 90's with other popular fiction. This article is nothing more than a scare tactic warning of a fictitious trend, just like the "rainbow parties", the choking game, mickey mouse acid, or any other number of urban legends propagated to scare parents into keeping a closer eye on their kids. This trend wasn't real when Interview with the Vampire was popular, and it's not real now. I suppose when the next Harry Potter movie is out, you'll all be fooled into thinking kids are falling to their deaths in droves by jumping out of windows on broomsticks.
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