New Deadly Game Kids Play

An article recently appeared in the MMWR Unintentional Strangulation Deaths from the "Choking Game" Among Youths Aged 6--19 Years --- United States, 1995--2007 and it describes an activity called "the choking game," which has led to the death of at least 82 children and adolescents since 1995.

The choking game is a dangerous activity that older children and early adolescents sometimes play in an attempt to get a brief high.

This activity is similar to another referred to as autoerotic asphyxiation. Here the goal is to reach an enhanced sexual stimulation state by coming close to strangulation.

They may either choke each other or use a noose to choke themselves and the risk is passing out which can lead to asphyxia and death

Boys were much more likely to die from the choking game than girls and 87% of victims in the report were boys.

Most of the children that died were 11-16 years old (89%).

Nearly all of the children who died were playing the game alone when they died.

Deaths have occurred all over the United States and isn’t limited to one area of the country.

The warning signs that parents, educators, health-care providers, or peers should look for include the following:

*Discussion of the game or its aliases
*Sexual material or magazines
*Bloodshot eyes
*Marks on the neck
*Wearing high-necked shirts, even in warm weather
*Frequent, severe headaches
*Disorientation after spending time alone
*Increased and uncharacteristic irritability or hostility
*Ropes, scarves, and belts tied to bedroom furniture or doorknobs or found knotted on the floor
*The unexplained presence of dog leashes, choke collars, bungee cords, etc.
*Petechiae (pinpoint bleeding spots) under the skin of the face, especially the eyelids, or the conjunctiva (the lining of the eyelids and eyes)

There are other names that this game is called and they include the Pass-out game, space monkey, suffocation roulette, Scarf game, the American dream, fainting game, something dreaming game, purple hazing, blacking out/blackout, dream game, flat liner, California choke, space cowboy, airplaning, purple dragon, and cloud nine.

Kids can “pass-out” in just a few seconds and can die within a few minutes if the strangulation is severe enough.

Repeated episodes of hypoxia from the game can cause the typical hypoxic brain injury. Other injuries include concussions or broken bones (including jaws) from falls associated with the choking game and various eye problems including hemorrhages.