Dispensary Corner

THERE'S a reason your mother told you not to play with matches.

But a New York man clearly didn’t listen and has now set a new Guinness World Record - for extinguishing 37 lit matches with his tongue, in under a minute.

The curious feat was achieved by 61-year-old Ashrita Furman (pictured) who is probably now on a liquid diet as the burns heal.

The strict rules of the competition stipulated he was only allowed to extinguish one match at a time, and was not permitted to blow on them at all.

Furman is somewhat of a stunt junkie, holding more than 200 world records including for such feats as hopscotch, carrying bricks and jumping on a pogo stick underwater - and he also happens to hold the world record for holding the most world records.

ALSO in the “only in America” category, Chuck McCarthy of Los Angeles has become the city’s first “people walker,” charging $7 per mile to accompany people around the streets near his home.

The alternative to dog-walking “requires no leash - just an ability to walk, talk and above all, listen,” according to The Guardian.

The idea has caught on as a way to help mental health by encouraging human interaction - and it’s been so successful McCarthy is considering launching an Uber-style app to expand the service to more cities.