The Choking Game and Your Teen

The choking game is back. Do you know how to keep your kids safe?

"I saw Gabe with the rope around his neck and a math book on his lap. He was just sitting on the ground. And so I thought he was just joking and so I said Gabe, knock it off, or like quit messing around... I looked over at him and he hadn't moved. I said his name a couple of times," says a California mother of her son's experience with the choking game. Gabriel was rushed to hospital when his mother realized something was wrong. He died there 15 hours later.

What is the Choking Game?

The ultimate goal of the choking game - also known by names such as the fainting game, the scarf game or Space Monkey - is to get high. You may have tried it when you were younger, or had friends who talked about playing it. While there may be variations in how the game is played, there are two main components which can be used alone or combined together. The first is hyperventilation followed by holding the breath, the second is strangulation.

The games is most often played by children aged 9 to 14, and of those most are boys. For those who feel the high, the game is addictive. This might explain why they would play it alone, using belts, ropes or shoelaces to choke themselves despite the elevated risk of this solitary version of the game.

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