Feb 21, 2014 04:47 PM EST By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

College-age kids and beyond have invented a new drinking game that's swept -- and scaring -- the world. Believed to have originated in Australia, Neknominate begins with one person taping him or herself (usually him) drinking an outrageous alcoholic concoction, drinking an alcoholic beverage while in an outrageous situation, or both, CNN reported. At the end of the video, posted on social media for all to see, the participant nominates one or more of their friends to top the stunt.

But the competitive and/or spirited nature of the game has led to some questionable drinks, and five reported deaths (all male below the age of 30), according to CNN. In a video capturing a few of the more famous submissions, it's difficult to judge which is the most detrimental: the young man downing what looks to be five or more shots of vodka in one gulp, the young man drinking beer from a toilet bowl, the young woman chugging a beer while in lingerie at a super market, or the Neknominater (neck being the verb for drinking in Australian lingo; nominate for the second part of the game) who blended a dead rat into his drink.

Given the five deaths associated with the game, most of the concern at the moment seems to lie with those consuming massively alcoholic drinks.

"This is a lethal game," Dr. Sarah Jarvis, medical adviser for the UK-based charity Drinkaware, told CNN. "The point about alcohol is that it affects your ability to recognize that you're in danger, and it absolutely affects your ability to react to danger. So we have a double whammy."

As documented by CNN, some participants have found a way to play the game without having a sip of alcohol -- though they still must deal with its other elements. One kid, for example, claimed to be chugging vodka from an old boot, but really he was just drinking water... from an old boot. Of course, such a switch could also lead to dangerous situations if the next nominee attempts to top unrealistic fake stunts using actual ingredients.

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