Galway Gardaí warn as Neknomination craze spirals out of control

 Galway Gardaí have issued a warning to anyone breaking the law or endangering the public as part of a new Facebook drinking craze – you will be identified and prosecuted.

 And leading addiction counsellor Joe Treacy said people will be “carted into the morgue” as the ‘neknominations’ craze has already spiralled out of control.

While the game started out as relatively harmless fun, some taking part are now attempting to out-do their friends – like standing on the roof of a moving car while drinking a pint, or downing pints of vodka.

The chain-mail drinking game began last month at a college in Western Australia and quickly spread to Europe.

It initially involved the participant being videoed ‘necking’ a pint or can of lager and then ‘nominating’ two friends to do the same within 24 hours, causing a multiplier effect. The recordings are then uploaded to Facebook.

However, many Facebook users are now attempting ‘Jackass’-type stunts as part of their neknomination, and replacing lager or cider with spirits.

In one such video – described by Gardaí as “irresponsible” – a 20-years-old NUI Galway student somersaults off Quincentenary Bridge to ‘rescue’ a can of cider, before swimming ashore and drinking it.

Gardaí have said they are not spoilsports, but if they receive complaints about public endangerment or illegal acts, they will investigate and prosecute. A spokesperson said they will be issuing a warning to student authorities in Galway City about the dangers.

“Some of the actions of people in these videos are deadly dangerous and irresponsible. If people are involved and are acting responsibly, they are not an issue for the Gardaí. But if the videos involve an act where they are a danger to themselves or members of the public, there will be prosecutions,” a spokesperson said.

Read more in today’s Galway City Tribune