‘Deadly’ TikTok challenge putting teens at risk

After a string of disturbing TikTok crazes over the past few months, this latest trend has child experts “terrified”.

A concerning social media challenge has emerged among young teens showing them binge drinking at least 15 alcoholic drinks, with experts fearing it could have “deadly” consequences.

The TikTok challenge ‘first drink versus last drink’, shows videos of people drinking their first drink of the night and then their last drink, showing them going from stone-cold sober to drunk.

The Herald Sun has found videos of teens and young adults who have had up to 15 drinks, showing them red-eyed and slurring their speech by their last drink.

Other dangerous challenges, uploaded by Melbourne school pupils, shows teens playing a guessing game of ‘who’s going to get the most drunk’, with a group of teens seen drinking shots and then revealing the most drunk person in another new video.

Videos of teens downing their first drink of the night and then their last drink are going viral. Picture: Tiktok

The videos show many teens red-eyed and slurring by their last drink. Picture: Tiktok

Child Psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg slammed the challenge, saying excessive alcohol drinking among teens was “dangerous” and even “deadly”.

“It’s the cause of more hospitalisation and death than any other drug so it is manifestly irresponsible for any social media organisation to do anything that would glamorise the excessive use of this particular drug,” Dr Carr-Gregg said.

“I worry about the morality of many of these social media companies, particularly TikTok who very quickly appear to be having the ethics of a cash register.

“It seems to me that all they care about is their bottom line from a corporate point of view.”

Dr Carr-Gregg said parents needed to be on “alert” about these types of social media challenges.

“I think that all parents should have a discussion with their sons and daughters about the inadvisability of participating in any of these TikTok challenges.

“I’m terrified that we’re going to see someone dying … you can actually drink enough alcohol in one session for it to be deadly.

Child experts warn the consequences of these types of “trends” can be deadly. Picture: Tiktok

“There was a case a few years ago where a boy took part in a challenge and decided to drink one shot every minute for 100 minutes and he died on his neighbour’s front lawn.”

University of Melbourne alcohol and drug policy expert Associate Professor John Fitzgerald said excessive drinking among teens can lead to “acute harm”.

“It can lead to acute injury and these are the things that land you in emergency departments,” Assoc Prof Fitzgerald said.

“Acute alcoholic poisoning is probably the most common thing and just getting into accidents including falling over, falling out of buildings and falling into things, that’s the usual spectrum of accidents and harm that arise from alcohol when you consume lots of it.”

Other disturbing TikTok content that has emerged in recent months included the proliferation of pro-anorexia videos and a trend that urged students to steal and vandalise school and public bathrooms with young teens filmed blocking toilets, ripping soap dispensers off walls and damaging mirrors and sinks.

A TikTok spokeswoman said TikTok was deeply committed to providing a safe and positive space especially for our younger users.

“Our community guidelines make clear, we do not allow content that suggests, depicts, imitates, or promotes the possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages by a minor,” the spokeswoman said.

“Content promoting, mentioning, or depicting alcohol products consumed by persons of legal drinking age but done so in a dangerous fashion may also not be eligible for recommendation.”