Video Sites: Kids Emulate Deadly Game From YouTube

“The Choking Game” is a deadly trend in which a child or teen ties something around their neck in the hopes of stopping blood flow to their brain to reach a so-called “high.” The game can be played alone or with a group of people, and videos of kids playing the dangerous game can be found on YouTube with just a few clicks.

According to The Dangerous Behaviors Foundation, players of “The Choking Game” risk experiencing seizures, memory loss, broken bones, concussions, retinal hemorrhaging, stroke, permanent brain damage and even death. The game has taken the lives of kids as young as 9-years-old, and just this month, two teens in Chicago died while playing it.

Parents must be vigilant. Kids often hear about the game at parties, summer camp, or by discovering the YouTube videos.  If you hear your child or their friends discussing the game (or the related YouTube videos), you must intervene.  Here are some helpful prevention tips:

1. Step up the normal monitoring of your child’s activities and whereabouts. Open your child’s cell phone and computer to check for websites or text messages containing phrases like “pass out” or “choking game.”  Do a search for videos that your child may have viewed, created, or uploaded.
2. Consider restricting your child's access to YouTube.
3. Remove belts, scarves, cords, or anything else that can be used for suffocation from your house.
4. Report your knowledge to school authorities.
5. Alert the parents of your child’s friends (if involved) to the situation.
6. Talk to a primary care physician or mental health professional to see if your child may require additional medical attention.

Parents should be aware that “The Choking Game” also goes by the following code names: Elevator, Pass Out Game, Hangman, Tap Out, Blackout, Black Hole, Flatliner, Choking Roulette, Good Kids Game, Thrill Seekers Rush, American Dream, Airplaning, California Choke, Cloud Nine, Dream Game, Fainting Game, Funky Chicken, Gasp Game, Knock-Out Game, Purple Dragon, Purple Hazing, The Scarf Game, Something Dreaming Game, Space Cowboy, Space Monkey, Suffocation Roulette, and the Tingling Game.

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