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A mum has been arrested after she posted a video of her daughter licking a medical tool before putting it back in the jar.

Cori Ward, 30, filmed her daughter with the piece of equipment at a doctors' surgery in Jacksonville, Florida.

The clip shows Ward's 10-year-old girl opening a jar of tongue depressors before grabbing one and sticking the item in her mouth.

She then places the used depressor back into the container.

The video, which was originally posted on Snapchat, has since gone viral.

Ward has been charged with tampering with a consumer product without regard for possible injury - which is classed as a felony in the US.

Responding to criticism, the mother said in a Facebook post before deleting her account: “What I didn’t know was that there was a llicking challenge' as I don’t scroll social media like that."

She continued: “The video doesn’t show that the items were thrown away or anything else that happened.

“I posted this on my personal Snapchat with my 20-something friends, where someone allowed another person to video it.

"I didn’t post it on Facebook or YouTube as a challenge or whatever.”

Ward can face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

She told CNN: “I had just been waiting a long time. I was just being silly with my kids.

“It’s ruined my life right now. That’s how I feel at least.”

This comes after a disturbing 'licking challenge' is sweeping across social media.

Shocking videos posted online show people opening and licking ice cream tubs in supermarkets before putting them back onto shelves.

Just last month, a 17-year-old teen was filmed licking a tub of ice cream before putting it back into the freezer at a Walmart in Lufkin, Texas.

The video has since been viewed 11 million times.

Police have refused to press "adult" charges on the girl who is considered a juvenile offender.

Lufkin Police said in a statement: “We do not intend to pursue charges against her as an ‘adult’ and therefore what happens from here is at the discretion of the juvenile justice system."