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The Choking Game

Your fourteen year old doesn't do drugs or drink or engage in any other behaviours that seem to run rampant among the other teens his age. So you can rest easy, right? Not according to the eighty six percent of five hundred students surveyed in a study that brought to light another terrifying pastime.

The choking game has been played in many variations for generations. Space Monkey, The Pass-Out Game, Choke Out and Seven Minutes 'Till Heaven are some of the pseudonyms for this dangerous hobby. The objective is a short lived 'high' achieved by the rush of oxygen returning to the brain after a period of deprivation. Children usually play in groups of two choking each other using their hands, towels, or anything that can be tied around the neck to apply pressure and cut off air flow to the brain. In a recent study in Canada, a popular method among schoolchildren between the ages of 7 and 12 is to use the towel dispenser in their school bathrooms.

The danger is magnified when the child plays alone by using a bed post or lightning fixture as an anchor for the sheet or tie he (statistics show that most victims of the choking game tend to be male) winds around his neck. No one is there to remove the binding around his neck and help him regain consciousness; death can occur in as little as fifteen minutes.

According to television's Dr Phil McGraw, who has run multiple segments about the choking game on his program, the game is responsible for between 500-1000 deaths or injuries every year. Because most parents are unaware that their child is even playing the game, the cause of death is often mislabelled as a suicide dealing parents a double blow by leaving them to wonder how their happy, active little boy could have possibly been driven to kill himself.

Besides the threat of death, children who play the choking game regularly are exposing themselves to potential retinal damage, stroke and seizures. In a few cases, an introduction to the 'high' of the choking game leads to an addiction that can follow children well into adulthood, increasing the damage over time and possibly leading to sever brain damage and/or brain death.

According to Tim Wilson, founder of the 8th Day Foundation an organization whose aim is to spread information to parents and schools about the choking game, “Most kids who participate are well liked, active, intelligent and stable. They want nothing to do with drugs or alcohol. This is an activity they feel is safe and fun. That being said, there is scientific proof that the activity is addictive. The endorphin release that occurs when the child regains consciousness is a chemical reaction that is highly addictive. We believe that our daughter had become addicted to the activity and that she had participated with it off-and-on for about a year before it took her life.

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Sherry Long's son was caught playing the game by his school. "I had no clue about the existence of this 'game' until my son was suspended from school for engaging in this activity on the school bus along with several teenage boys. No one was seriously injured (this time). However one boy has been charged with 2 counts of aggravated assault and my son also may face charges. I am literally heart-broken for all those involved. I am fortunate in that I was able to pick up my son at the principal's office rather than the police station or worse yet, the morgue.

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The recognition of the dangers recently by law enforcement is a great advancement. However this isn't enough to put a stop the ever growing problem. To this end, parents really need to drive home the point that this is not just a 'game' and could have any number of serious consequences. The most important way that parents can protect their children is information. By making themselves aware of this activity, they can better watch out for the signs that their children are playing this game. Mr Wilson lists the following as some major signs for parents that their child might be involved in the choking game:

1. Inexplicable marks or bruises on the throat or neck.

2. Frequent, severe headaches

3. Redness of the eyes

4. Belts, leashes, ropes, shoelaces tied in strange knots or found in unusual places

5. Unexplained cuts or bruises from falling

6. Disorientation after spending time alone

7. Locked bedroom doors

Check out your children's internet history. Any choking game websites or chat rooms should raise a red flag. Once a parent is certain that their child is playing the choking game, supervision needs to be increased around the child. The family doctor must be informed in order to monitor any physical damage that has resulted from the game. Calling their friends parents is also imperative as many children fall into the habit of the game through peer pressure. Talk to your child's school. Karen Garrett, whose son died after playing the game just once, runs P.L.A.Y. Inc an organization working on visiting schools to disseminate information to kids about the horrors of this game. Karen explains that, "typically, it's a game that is played as a 'risk or follow the leader' type of game. What these kids need to realize, is that as with my son, the first time is usually FATAL, and they usually don't have the opportunity to go back for seconds.� Teachers must know exactly what to look out for to protect the students in their care from this risky behaviour. "We typically see the deaths among middle school freshman once they get acclimated to middle school, start hanging out with a new group of friends, and then begin doing things they typically would never have thought about doing,"� Karen adds.

Opening a dialogue with your child is important. Mr Wilson urges parents to, "Talk openly with the child about it. Most children know about the game and they know that most adults don't know about it. When the adult talks openly about it, it allows the child to feel like they can be open. Parents should not condemn. The child is most likely doing this for a thrill and not to harm themselves. They should treat it like any other potentially dangerous activity their child may find themselves introduced to."� Chances are once this subject is broached, you'll find out that even if he isn't engaged in the activity himself, he's certainly aware of the game. The problem is that children only get half the picture when it comes to playing the game. They hear how great the rush is, how fun it is to watch their friends pass out. Like with many of the other dangers children face today, it's up to the adults in their lives to bring home the darker side of this pastime. The best way for parents to do that is to arm themselves with knowledge to avoid suffering the tragic loss of their children like hundreds already have, simply because they just didn't know.

For more information visit: http://www.chokinggameinformation.com http://www.gaspinfo.com/en/home.asp (Games Adolescents Shouldn't Play) www.deadlygameschildrenplay.com www.8thdayfoundation.org http://www.playinc.info/