The popularity of a simple new game that any man can play in the privacy of the toilet has taken retailers by surprise this weekend.

The makers of Peeball, a biodegradable powderball that gradually disintegrates on contact with liquid, believe their product will do for men's health awareness what The Pink Ribbon has done for women.

Launched last week in collaboration with The Prostate Cancer Charity, Peeball takes advantage of something all men have to do - urinate. A ball is placed at the base of a urinal and contestants must demolish it as quickly as possible. The game can be played solo or with friends.

The Peeballs, which are yellow, cost £1 each, at least 30p of which goes to the Prostate Cancer Charity.

'As soon as we heard about Peeball, we knew we wanted to be involved,' said John Neate, the charity's chief executive. 'I can't think of a better way to raise funds - and get over our serious health messages in a meaningful and engaging way.'

To play peeball once is to be hooked for life, according to the manufacturers, and 10,000 have already been sold - before advertising has begun. Players develop their own tactics to dissolve the ball as quickly as possible. The choice is between a direct stream and an intermittent assault on the target.

The early run on Peeballs is due in part to the success of an online virtual reality version of the game, a favourite website of the Peeball enthusiast, Stephen Fry.

Neate hopes that the balls, which are on sale in pubs, clothes shops and Virgin Megastores, will provide an easy and unthreatening way to reach men of all ages who are conventionally slower to take on health messages than women.

He also hopes the game will make £1 million for his charity. Prostate cancer is the country's fasting growing form of the disease and affects one in 13 men in Britain. Warning signs, which are shared with other benign conditions, include difficulty passing urine and the need to pass urine more frequently.

info@peeball.com
www.prostate-cancer.org.uk