By Julie Rosenbluth, MPH, CHES for American Council For Drug Education

You may have seen in recent headlines citing the death of several young children and teens caused by “The Choking Game.” Also known as the “pass out game,” “dreaming,” “pass out” or “ghost,” you might even remember it or something like it from your childhood, as the concept has been around for a while. The primary goal is to cause a friend to literally choke or lose breath and feel a consciousness altering experience or a “high”. You may have thought it was a harmless game played at sleep-over parties or play dates, but what you didn’t know is how dangerous and possibly deadly this game could get.

The Choking Game, as it has come to be called, is a game children play by compressing a friend’s chest or squeezing their neck to cut off the flow of oxygen. In the first step, the person being choked will feel light-headed due to the reduced blood flow and lack of oxygen to the brain, causing a perceived “high.” Once the pressure to the chest or neck has been lifted the surge of blood back into the brain creates a perceived “rush.”

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 2 to 4 minutes as the weight of their body further constricts blood and oxygen to the brain.

Deaths or brain damage can occur when children try to induce the high by themselves. In many of these cases, children are constricting themselves with ties or belts. When the flow of oxygen is cut off they unintentionally pass out leaving no one to loosen the “noose” they have created and save them. The risk of brain damage or death is compounded when there is no one to relieve pressure, reintroduce the flow of oxygen and restore a child to consciousness. When first discovered these cases are often marked a suicide when in fact these children had no intention of killing themselves and were just “playing a game”.

Even children who play the game among friends are still at risk for permanent brain damage, harm to the retina, accidental fall from passing out, and death. In addition, if the child’s partner accidentally squeezes a small group of nerve cells in the neck, the heart can come to a complete stop.

The age range of kids who most often participate in this behavior is 9 to 14 years old. Many pre-teens and teens participate in this lethal game out of curiosity, not rebellion, depression or anger. The game may be played by kids who are not outwardly at-risk – students who may do well in school, and are close with their families. To many kids, The Choking Game seems like a harmless way to get a rush.

Parents should be on the look-out for:

• Reports of severe headaches
• Marks on the neck
• Bloodshot or red eyes
• Raspy breath; and
• Belts, bags, ties found around the house and closed doors or an unusual need for privacy.

Parents should also pay attention to the web sites their child may be visiting. Look out for sites that include the words “Passout,” “Blackout,” “Space Monkey,” “Space Cowboy,” “Knockout,” “Gasp,” or “Rising Sun.” Also check blogs or chat rooms where children may be discussing the game.