A DEADLY online craze dubbed ‘The Vacuum Challenge’ could lead to strangulation and death, say concerned medical experts.
The challenge usually sees giggling children being filmed as they are sealed inside bin bags as the air is sucked out by their parents.
Often the bags become so ludicrously tight those on the videos are seen toppling over, according to Yahoo News.
However, the “hilarious” challenge can lead to cerebral hypoxia when the oxygen supply to the brain is cut off, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
“Brain cells are extremely sensitive to oxygen deprivation and can begin to die within five minutes after oxygen supply has been cut off,” the institute says.
Those who take on the challenge alone also face the risk of getting stuck inside the vacuum-sealed bags.
The bizarre challenge is reported to have been inspired by vacuum beds- which are popular in the BDSM community, reports the Mail Online.
A vacuum bed is a specially-made frame fitted with a latex suit which covers the entire head and body which participants climb into.
Air is then sucked out using a vacuum, while the user inside breathes through a tube running into the mouth.
Some have expressed their shock at the challenge while hinting they understood where it originated from.
“All these people exploring the latex vacuum bed kink without even knowing it,” one social media user tweeted.
