‘NekNomination’ drinking game craze causes deaths, spurs public outcry

If you've been following headlines, you might have noticed a growing number of teens and young adults taking part in an Internet challenge called "NekNomination."

NekNomination is a drinking game challenge that has been thrust into the media spotlight after recently killing two young Irish men, aged 19 and 22.

Some reports suggest the game originated in the U.K. as far back as 2008, but has only gained momentum recently. It involves binge drinking as fast as a person can in increasingly extreme ways, such as drinking out of a toilet, reports CBC.

There are hundreds of videos posted on YouTube and Facebook showing people neknominating, and the trend has unfortunately reached Canada.

Once a person posts a video of themselves online, they challenge their friends to outdo them, drinking in a more extreme way.

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Young people participating in stupid and dangerous video challenges on the Internet is nothing new, but the NekNomination challenge has spurred public outcry from U.K. parents and politicians following several recent deaths.

As a result, a Facebook page that was used to promote the game has since been removed by the founders. The Guardian reports that the NekNomination Facebook page, which was created on Tuesday, Jan. 28, was removed as of Monday.

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Despite the fact that Facebook was pressured by Ireland's communications minister to remove the offending page, the company rejected her plea saying that the page did not break company rules on harmful content.

What are your thoughts on the NekNomination drinking game and other challenges like it? Share your comments below.