South African man passes away after partaking in a drinking competition

Authorities in South Africa said a man collapsed and died after he partook in a drinking competition. According to Sowetan Live, police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said the incident happened at a bar in the village of Mashamba.

Mojapelo said the deceased man was part of a group of people who allegedly partook in a challenge to ascertain who could finish a full bottle of Jägermeister. The money on the table was R200 (around $11).

The chief executive of Alcohol Concern, Jackie Ballard, told the Huffington Post that “people need to remember that alcohol is a toxin and can have life-threatening and immediate effects if consumed in a large amount at once.”

“These challenges and fads show just how hard we have to work to warn people of the dangers of binge drinking,” Ballard added.

“Your body can only process one unit of alcohol an hour, and less in some people. Drink a lot in a short space of time and the amount of alcohol in the blood can stop the body from working properly,” Elaine Hindal, who is the chief executive at alcohol education charity Drinkaware, also said, per MEEAWW.

“The current ‘binge drinking’ culture is already bad enough with people downing bottles of wine before they start their night out, without now daring each other to do the same with spirits, which can be very strong,” another specialist, Dr. Helen Webberley, added.

“This is very dangerous for acute liver toxicity and alcohol poisoning, and then there is the worry of long-term liver damage.” She added, “Acute alcoholic hepatitis can be very nasty and fatal, and long-term complications of alcohol abuse can be irreversible and ultimately result in a painful death. No one should take this risk for a few likes on social media.”