Neknominating: Not the most sensible trend to follow on the internet.
AUSTRALIANS are regarded as being a pretty intrepid and adventurous bunch, but our eagerness to dabble in certain activities can land us in a whole lot of trouble.
Risky behaviour and following dangerous trends has led to a massive increase in the number of accidental deaths in Australia over the past decade.
According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, accidental deaths have jumped by 21 per cent in this time, from 4844 accidental deaths in 2004 to 5867 in 2013.
But our love affair with adventure and following the latest online trend isn’t just costing lives, it’s also leading to serious injury.
Financial comparison site finder.com.au has done a round up of some of the crazes that have been linked to deaths and serious injuries to prove the point.
Bessie Hassan, Consumer Advocate at finder.com.au, has warned Australians to be cautious of the dangerous fads and said vulnerable young Aussies are getting swept up in these so called fads, putting lives at risk.
“The overwhelming forces of peer pressure will compel some people to partake in events regardless of the risks,” she said.
“Australians should not let a new craze cloud their judgment. By all means we need to enjoy our lives but don’t underestimate the risks of some of these pursuits.”
Ms Hassan said while some of the examples may seem extreme, the avoidable injuries and deaths should serve as a warning.
“We shouldn’t need to scare people into looking after themselves,” she said.
“Many insurers don’t cover those who have needlessly exposed themselves to risk.”
Among some of the dangerous trends identified include:
Paramedics treat injured triathlete Raija Ogden, who was knocked down and injured when a drone filming the race crashed to the ground. Picture: Everything GeraldtonSource:Supplied
RECREATIONAL DRONES
Incidents involving people being injured by drones are on the rise across the globe as sales of unmanned aerial vehicles also increase.
Reports of accidents with people include an 18-month-old boy in the UK who lost an eye after being hit by a drone flown by a family friend, and a toddler in the US who was seriously hurt when a privately owned drone crashed near her pram on a residential street.
Australia is not immune.
In April, 2013, triathlete Raija Ogden suffered a head injury after a drone which had been filming her competing crashed in Geraldton, Western Australia.
Ogden was taken to hospital and needed stitches after the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) fell and hit her on the head, knocking her to the ground as she heading into the second lap of the Endure Batavia Triathlon.
Cryotherapy is said to have massive benefits, but unregulated use is dangerous.Source:Supplied
CRYOTHERAPY
This treatment, touted for its health benefits including speeding up metabolism and improving blood circulation, has been linked to a death in the United States.
Cryotherapy has been used by athletes as an alternative to ice baths to relieve muscle soreness, but has also recently been marketed as an “anti-ageing” therapy.
Clients are placed in a tubular machine pumping out air as low as -170C.
The treatment also is promoted as aiding weight loss, improving healing and increasing blood circulation, leading some salons to offer cryotherapy facials as an anti-ageing remedy.
However it is unregulated therapy, which has come under the spotlight.
A 24-year-old Las Vegas spa worker was found dead inside a liquid nitrogen chamber used for cryotherapy treatments because she suffocated to death.
In October last year, Chelsea Patricia Ake-Salvacion was found frozen to death inside a liquid nitrogen chamber used for cryotherapy treatments at an unlicensed facility.
Police said Ms Ake-Salvacion had used the facility after hours and there was nothing suspicious about her death.
According to finder.com.au, there are also other risks including nerve and tissue damage when blood vessels are hit with exposure to sub zero temperatures.
Cheaper hoverboard models can also be a fire hazard because they don’t have battery charging auto-shut-off, meaning they can overheat and catch fire. Picture: Richard DobsonSource:News Corp Australia
HOVERBOARDS
It may look cool but hoverboards have a not so fun side with some labelling the self-balancing scooter a “death trap”.
A teenager was knocked unconscious after falling off his hoverboard in Sydney’s north on Christmas morning and a family home was burnt to the ground in Melbourne earlier this year when one of the toys exploded.
Melbourne dad Ash Ibraheim tired to put out a fire after his daughter’s Christmas present burst into flames last month.
However, the fire got into the roof and ran along to the front of the home, which will likely be bulldozed.
Fire investigator Rod East said the hoverboard’s battery had exploded.
Cheap lithium-Ion batteries made in China have been one suspected cause of the growing number of house fires and personal injuries attributed to the devices.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is currently assessing whether the hoverboards will or may cause injury to consumers and whether any regulatory action is needed.
Ash Ibraheim the occupant of the house, pictured inspecting the damage where the fire started in his house after his daughter’s hoverboard exploded. Picture: Nicole GarmstonSource:News Corp Australia
YOUTUBE CHALLENGES
Whether it’s attempting to swallow a drink in one go or trying to escape being taped to a pole — these viral internet challenges have caused hundreds of injuries and even death.
Ms Hassan said it seemed “we can’t go more than a few weeks without hearing about a new YouTube challenge encouraging viewers to video themselves attempting a particular challenge and posting it online for others to see”.
At least five deaths have been linked to the YouTube challenge known as ‘Neknominations’ which involved participants filming themselves downing alcohol then nominating someone else to continue the game.
More recently, Washington teenager Skylar Fish ended up in hospital needing 48 staples in his head after attempting the latest trend — the ‘duct tape challenge’,
The craze, which involves people wrapping each other in duct tape and trying to break free, injured the 14-year-old so badly he had his hair ripped out and might permanently lose vision in his left eye.
Skylar Fish pictured after attempting the ‘duct tape challenge’. Picture: Facebook/Siemny KimSource:Supplied
INSTAGRAM SELFIES
The incidents of people being killed and injured while posing for a selfie has skyrocketed with people keen to grab some social media glory.
“Some are going to extreme lengths to get a photo to show their friends and family, with volcanoes and cliff edges making the list of spots worth risking a selfie for,” Ms Hassan said.
People are still risking their lives at Wedding Cake Rock in the Royal National Park to take a picture near the edge. Picture: Adam TaylorSource:News Corp Australia
French male model Fabien Ardoin died last year when he fell off Wedding Cake Rock in Sydney while bushwalking with friends.
And in September 2015, Kristi Kafcaloudis died after reportedly losing her balance and falling 700m from Norway’s Trolltunga cliff while preparing to pose for a photograph.
The death of the 24-year-old Monash University prompted Norway to remove ictuses from its tourism website because of people posing dangerously on the iconic cliff which is 700m above the water.
Aussie student Kristi Kafcaloudis plunged to her death off a cliff in Norway while having her photo taken on Trolltunga cliff in Hordaland county, Norway.Source:Supplied
ENERGY DRINKS
As the popularity of energy drinks has skyrocketed so has the emergence of dangerous side effects from overuse including heart problems, seizures and death.
Earlier this month, the world’s fattest man Andres Moreno died of a heart attack after a week-long energy drink binge and 35-year-old Aussie Mick Clarke died from a four-can a day habit in 2014.
Last month British teenager Dion Parratt warned of the health risks after revealing the shocking effects of her five drink a day habit.
The 18-year-old said her former addiction has left her with a serious heart condition and resulted in two miscarriages.
She shared an image of herself wearing a heart monitor on Facebook, which she has to wear all the time so doctors can monitor her condition, to warn others of the danger of consuming too many of the drinks.
Dion Parratt posted this picture to warn others of the dangers of drinking excessive amounts of energy drinks.Source:Facebook
THE PRICE OF FASHION
While most of us all love looking good and dressing well, our fashion habits can be dangerous.
In June last year, skinny jeans came under the spotlight after a 35 year-old woman was hospitalised after wearing a pair of the super tight clothing item.
The Adelaide woman was taken to hospital after the jeans cut off the blood supply to her legs, trapping her for hours on the ground.
She suffered muscle and nerve damage and spent four days attached to a drip to allow her kidneys to recover from the ordeal.
Skinny jeans are popular, but according to critics can be dangerous to wearers.Source:News Corp Australia
Extreme sports these days push the envelope further and further. BASE jumping, huge new roller coasters and cars that can drive on the water are just the beginning.
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