Neknominate Drinking Game Making Its Rounds on Estonian Social Media
Since early January, a drinking game called Neknominate has spread in social networks around the world, and is also gaining popularity in Estonia.
The game imitates a chain letter, daring the player to drink a certain amount of alcohol, film it, and name three people who have to follow suit, which each compelled to post a similar video within 24 hours, uudised.err.ee reported.
The videos spreading on Estonian social networks comes from compatriots living the US and the participants are asked to drink half a liter of beer. Videos on British and Australian sites ask players to drink a large glass of strong liquor.
So far, five people have died across the world due to the game.
ER doctor and first aid trainer Mare Liiger said on ETV’s program "Ringvaade" that the drink will induce dizziness and if the stomach pushes the “slop” out when the person is asleep, it could result in suffocating in vomit.
The faster one drinks, the worse the effect, Liiger said. Beer is harmful because it contains gas, whereas knocking back liquor can lead to loss of consciousness and suffocation.
A glass of vodka is unlikely to harm an alcoholic, but could lead to a coma when the drinker is not used to alcohol and reportedly there is at least one such case recorded in Estonia.
If the player refuses to go along, he or she owes the initiator a crate of beer and faces public shaming.