The Choking Game—

A Dangerous ‘Game’ Where Kids Unknowingly Take Their Lives Into Their Own Hands

By Susan Coney

Parents warn their children about the dangers of cigarette smoking, drinking, and drugs, but many parents are simply unaware of The Choking Game. Children between the ages of 9 and 14 years old are experimenting with this extremely dangerous “game,” which has led in recent years to the deaths of numerous children across the country.

The Choking Game, often talked about in blogs and chat rooms, may also be called Passout, Blackout, Space Monkey, Space Cowboy, Knockout, Gasp, Rising Sun, or Airplaning, and is played almost equally by both boys and girls.

The premise of the game is for the child to choke themselves or have a partner choke them, producing a kind of high. At first the person experiences a light-headed feeling, or perceived “high” due to reduced blood flow, and therefore reduced delivery of oxygen to the brain. The second part comes with the removal of pressure on the chest or neck releasing a powerful surge of dammed up blood up through the carotid arteries into the brain, causing a perceived “rush.”

In recent years, Dr Thomas Andrew, a pediatrician and New Hampshire’s chief medical examiner, has become an expert on the dangers of this high-risk game and has appeared on news programs such as 20/20 to alert others about it. He first became aware of The Choking Game in 2001 after mistakenly ruling on the death of a 14-year-old boy.

“Obviously this is a small state and all of the cases pass through our office. We had a case of a 14-year-old that we initially thought was a suicide. That’s always hard for parents to hear,” he said.

Shortly after the boy’s death, his mother brought Dr Andrew information trying to convince him that her son would not have committed suicide. The information contained websites and emails from the home computer making vague references to this game.

While reviewing that case, the death of an 11-year-old boy from a nearby area occurred. In that case, however, the boy’s body was found by his 7-year-old brother who told authorities about the game. “That’s how I became aware of it,” Dr Andrew said. Since then he has become an advocate to help educate the public about this type of risky behavior.

Like Russian Roulette

Dr Andrew stressed that the topic is an important one to discuss with kids. He stated it usually starts as a group behavior and then those seeking to get the high produced over and over again begin to play it alone.

“It is as dangerous as Russian Roulette,” Dr Andrew said. “My suspicion is it is quite prevalent. I think the ones we hear about are only the tip of the iceberg; I suspect it goes on a lot,” he said. He stressed The Choking Game attracts preadolescent children with a 1.5 to 1 boy-girl ratio, and should not be confused with autoerotic asphyxia, practiced by adults, which is entirely different.

Dr Andrew realizes that administrators and principals may shy away from talking about the behavior because they fear it will lead children to try the game, when in fact they already know about the game and it is the parents who need to be made aware of the problem.

“It’s absurd to squelch education in the mistaken belief that it will make them try it. We already talk to them about sex, drugs, and alcohol; we should be pro-active. It is inappropriate to avoid the problem and there is no reason not to address it. I view it from the other side and that is to make people aware before a tragedy happens,” Dr Andrew said.

Adults are shocked by this sort of behavior and bewildered about why anyone would intentionally do this to themselves, but such games have been around for years as people constantly strive to achieve an altering experience or high. Children perceive the game as mysterious and nonthreatening because they are not putting any type of drug into their body so they feel it must be harmless. When confronted by an adult about the game they may deny they have knowledge of or play the game.

Many children play the game repeatedly and although no long-term effects have been studied, children who play the game risk sudden death, brain damage, harm to the retina, as well as possible injuries that may result from falling when loss of consciousness occurs. Equally frightening is the chance that a child’s partner may accidentally squeeze a small group of nerve cells in the neck that causes the heart to come to a complete stop.

Warning signs and symptoms provide few clues, but parents should be on the lookout for marks on the neck, bloodshot eyes, a raspy voice and/or the report of headaches. Children use scarves, belts, bags, and ties to play the game and sequester themselves behind closed doors for privacy.

When The Bee spoke with several middle-school-aged students many said they had never heard of the game while others admitted they knew of the game but had never participated in it or seen anyone participate in the activity first-hand.

Connecticut Clearinghouse, a statewide resource center that distributes information on alcohol, tobacco, drugs, mental health and wellness issues, released a comprehensive newsletter this month alerting parents and health organizations throughout the state about the dangers of The Choking Game.

The newsletter provides parents with detailed information and warnings about the seriousness of the game, stating: “The recent deaths and brain damage cases in the media are the result of the game gone awry. According to experts, a child playing this game could lose consciousness within a minute and die in as little as two to four minutes.”

The newsletter also outlines strategies for parents on how recognize symptoms and how to try to prevent a tragic death from occurring by talking with children about the dangers of the game.

While many parents are juggling overwhelming responsibilities between work and family, their children are also feeling pressured to drink, have sex, or experiment with risky behaviors. Children need quality time spent with their parents to allow for good communication and to help them foster good decisionmaking skills.

Parental Involvement

The American Psychological Association suggests that many dangerous risk-taking behaviors may be avoided by parents simply knowing more of what is going on in their child’s life. The association recommends encouraging children to take positive risks; it recommends parents set a good example; speak frankly with children about addictive or dangerous behaviors; and establish a pattern of asking and knowing as much as possible about where they are and with whom they are spending time.

Above all it recommends making an effort to keep a solid relationship with children to help them make good judgment calls when necessary.

Dr Andrew agrees with these recommendations, stating that encouraging positive risk taking in the form of playing sports or traditional types of games can produce thrills that children of this preadolescent age group desire.

For more information contact Connecticut Clearinghouse at 800-232-4424 or visit CTClearingHouse.org.