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Don't Miss: Flamin' Hot Cheetos I know, I know… you thought Flamin' Hot Cheetos was best known for Californication. Nope, it's NPR's Luke Burbank's entry into the fast/bad food phenomenon that's hitting the schools. Luke sends this most serious warning exclusively to Mixed Signals readers: "If you've got kids between age 5 and 15, you're probably already aware of a pernicious red menace that's sweeping the nation these days – Flamin' Hot Cheetos. That's right, the snacks, introduced in 1991 by Frito-Lay (which also makes Original Cheetos, the nation's best selling extruded cheese-flavored snack) have exploded in popularity over the last few years. All over America, school kids can be seen stumbling around in Cheeto-induced dazes. Their eyes watery, their mouths ringed with the atomic red powder that gives the Cheetos their zest." Luke beat the House Committee on Un-American Activities to the punch. He visited an elementary school in Pasadena, Calif., where the principal has banned Hot Cheetos -- though the students sneak them in anyway. Check out his report on NPR tonight. One serious thought: If they outlaw Flamin' Hot Cheetos, then only outlaws will have Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

Don't Miss: Flamin' Hot Cheetos

All over America, school kids can be seen stumbling around, their eyes watery, their mouths ringed with the atomic red powder from Flamin' Hot Cheetos. hide caption

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I know, I know... you thought Flamin' Hot Cheetos was best known for Californication.

Nope, it's NPR's Luke Burbank's entry into the fast/bad food phenomenon that's hitting the schools. Luke sends this most serious warning exclusively to Mixed Signals readers:

"If you've got kids between age 5 and 15, you're probably already aware of a pernicious red menace that's sweeping the nation these days -- Flamin' Hot Cheetos. That's right, the snacks, introduced in 1991 by Frito-Lay (which also makes Original Cheetos, the nation's best selling extruded cheese-flavored snack), have exploded in popularity over the last few years. All over America, school kids can be seen stumbling around in Cheeto-induced dazes. Their eyes watery, their mouths ringed with the atomic red powder that gives the Cheetos their zest."

Luke beat the House Committee on Un-American Activities to the punch. He visited an elementary school in Pasadena, Calif., where the principal has banned Hot Cheetos -- though the students sneak them in anyway. Check out his report on NPR tonight.

One serious thought: If Flamin' Hot Cheetos were outlawed, then only outlaws will have Flamin' Hot Cheetos.