Choking' game taking young lives

A dangerous activity, involving trying to choke oneself to cause a brief high, is spreading among young boys in the United States

At least 82 children have died in the United States in recent years as a result of playing the 'choking' game, a bizarre but increasingly common practice, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The game, which involves intentionally trying to choke oneself to create a brief high, has been around for years, but it appears to be spreading. One theory is that the Internet has made it easier for children to learn about the game. A search of YouTube turns up several videos warning about the practice, but also several troubling demonstrations by giggling adolescents showing how to play. The deaths identified by the CDC are based on media reports of the game over the past decade, but more than 60 of the deaths have occurred since 2005. The agency says the number of deaths is probably understated, and other experts agree, noting that choking game deaths, which involve accidental strangulation with a rope or belt, often look like suicides. The website Gasp, which stands for Games Adolescents Shouldn't Play, reports that 65 children died in 2007 alone. Counselling psychology assistant professor Mark Lepore of Chatham College in Pittsburgh told The Houston Press last year that he believed 1,800 people in the United States had died playing the game in the past 10 years; most were children and teenagers. Most of the deaths were among boys ages 11 to 16, and the average age was 13, the report said. The game is reportedly played in a variety of ways, but the goal is to deprive the brain of oxygen long enough to create a feeling of euphoria before passing out. The game is not the same thing as autoerotic asphyxiation, another risky behaviour that tends to be practised by older teens and adults, in which masturbation and asphyxia are combined to achieve a more powerful orgasm. In addition to discussing the dangers of the game with their children, parents should look for signs of any such play by kids. The game has several aliases. Parents should listen for names like Blackout, Flatliner, Fainting Game, California Choke, Dream Game, Airplaning, Suffocation Roulette, Space Cowboy and the Pass-Out Game. Signs that a child may be engaging in the choking game include bloodshot eyes; marks on the neck; severe headaches; disorientation after spending time alone; ropes, scarves and belts tied to bedroom furniture or doorknobs or found knotted on the floor; or the unexplained presence of things like dog leashes, choke collars and bungee cords. - THE NEW YORK TIMES