It’s a new drinking game that is sweeping the nation but one Manchester-based charity is warning of the dangers it could entail.
Participants in ‘Neck and Nominate’ down a drink – often an outlandish concoction involving the contents of a drinks cupboard – while being filmed and proceed to ‘nominate’ someone else to keep the chain going by positing the film to a social media site.
While the ‘game’ is proving a real hit across Twitter and Facebook – with participants finding more and more bizarre ways to complete their task – Manchester-based social enterprise Turning Point, which works to improve lives and communities, has cautioned against taking part.
“Any sort of drinking game causes concern as binge drinking can have quite devastating short term as well as long term physical effects,” said Gill Campbell, North West Area Operations Manager for Turning Point’s substance misuse service.
“To reduce the likelihood of long term harm people should remain within the recommended units per day and week.”
The Facebook page for the games does state ‘drink responsibly’ but videos show drinkers in fancy dress as well as in unusual locations, including supping from a toilet, completing the task.
On the Twitter account belonging to Neck and Nominate it states that the game is ‘perfectly safe’ as long as the rules, which include ‘Don’t be dick’, are followed.
The origins of the game are uncertain with an Australian version ‘Neknominate’ vying with British take on the game which is seemingly less extreme.
Sam Carney, 21, a student at Lancaster University, who was nominated, said: “I was reluctant to follow the mainstream but I was scared what my peers would do to me if I didn’t do it.”
Other users have shown the ugly results of drinking games including Ciaran Smyth who posted on Twitter: “@NeckandNominate I’m absolutely fucked #ThankYou”
Sara Wilson, also on Twitter, said: “Just woke up to a @NeckandNominate of a mate downing his own urine. This has escalated quickly.”
Image courtesy of StaffsMensFootball via YouTube, with thanks.
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