[lynn P.]

Recently a community near mine lost a young tween girl from the Choking Game. I could have put this is current events but didn't want to focus on this case for privacy reasons. I remember hearing about this on Oprah when my oldest was 7 (8 yrs ago) and I sat down with my daughter to educate her. I've since had the same conversation with my youngest.

This isn't something new and some adults engage in this to heighten sexual arousal but young people do this to get a high affect or some have this unknowingly done to them. I went to a bullying seminar last night and the speaker frankly spoke about this. Sadly there are videos of kids doing this on Youtube. Some kids/adults follow this "monkey see monkey do" behavior. The expert said we're losing young people to this and often some look like a suicide, but might actually be the choking game gone wrong.

My purpose of doing this thread is - please have a calm clear conversation with your kids and spread the word. When kids are in groups they often try this the 1st time. We need to teach our kids not to be followers if they sense its wrong. This isn't a game and an innocent kid might be asked ......"do you want to play this game" and unknowingly say yes. Here's are some links on this deadly activity.

What is the Choking Game?

GASP

[Travelinglady]

Thanks for sharing, Lynn P.!

[shezbut]

Thank you for sharing these links, lynn P!

It is very sad and shocking to hear that lots of tweens are playing this dangerous "game". I remember playing this with my older sister and her friends when I was in 6th grade (she was in 10th). It was a scary experience for me!

I specifically recall: leaning over and hyperventilating for 1 minute, standing up straight against a wall, and they squeezed my neck for however many seconds & I would pass out. The time in which I was passed out seemed like forever to me, but was actually only several seconds. In my loss of consciousness, I fell to the floor and slightly shook. I woke up, horrified & they were laughing at me. I didn't like it. A very negative experience for me ~ and I certainly don't want my own girls to do the same thing. I'll definitely look into how to bring this up with my daughters in a gentle way.

Thank you!

[spondiferous]

I remember kids doing this when I was in high school. I was always too scared to try. Thanks for getting it in circulation.

[Maven]

Kids are doing a lot of crazy and dangerous things. The Cinnamon Challenge is another, where you try to swallow a spoonful of cinnamon. That can actually kill you. Then there's all the different ways kids try to get drunker faster, including alcohol tampons, pouring alcohol directly into the eye, etc.

[Ladyzero]

May I ask, is cinnamon poisonous ? ? ? Excuse my ignorance, I don't get it !
I've heard of the alcohol in the eye thing, but alcohol tampons ? What a strange way to get drunk. I just can't imagine it ! What ever next ? Alcohol suppositories ? Hell, I take my alcohol in a glass, thanks !

Thanks, I have never heard of this but kids do some strange things. My daughter is 9 (and a half, according to her) and she has a circle of friends in our neighborhood and they have been increasing in independence and I worry about what kinds of things she will be exposed to and how she will choose to handle the situation. I will talk to her and my son about this, but at the same time I don't want to give them any ideas if you know what I mean (make them aware of it, and then they try it because I told them about it) I sometimes have a feeling to watch them like a hawk, but fortunately that has not (so far) caused me to become irrational or impractical in my parenting per say. Thanks for letting me know about this.

[lynn P.]

Originally Posted by Ladyzero

May I ask, is cinnamon poisonous ? ? ? Excuse my ignorance, I don't get it !
I've heard of the alcohol in the eye thing, but alcohol tampons ? What a strange way to get drunk. I just can't imagine it ! What ever next ? Alcohol suppositories ? Hell, I take my alcohol in a glass, thanks !

No cinnamon isn't poisonous but its such a fine powder, where the person ends up inhaling some of the cinnamon. Finally the medical association released a study saying how risky it is. Some have died, got a collapsed lung, sinus infections, continued breathing problems where they have to use inhalers. It may look funny to some but its causes distress and choking.

Youtube is getting out of control with showing risky stuff. The other day I was listening to the radio and they said there's a video of a girl putting a clean condom in her nose, down her throat and out through her mouth. Why.....I'll never know There's a great chance this could lodge in the throat and block an airway similar to a piece of balloon. People who run the risk of doing these dares and challenges are usually follower types, plus they want views - the weirder or more daring the better.

[lynn P.]

Originally Posted by lightbulb7

Thanks, I have never heard of this but kids do some strange things. My daughter is 9 (and a half, according to her) and she has a circle of friends in our neighborhood and they have been increasing in independence and I worry about what kinds of things she will be exposed to and how she will choose to handle the situation. I will talk to her and my son about this, but at the same time I don't want to give them any ideas if you know what I mean (make them aware of it, and then they try it because I told them about it) I sometimes have a feeling to watch them like a hawk, but fortunately that has not (so far) caused me to become irrational or impractical in my parenting per say. Thanks for letting me know about this.

This has been around for a long time but there's increasing popularity. Its terrible there's youtube videos of this too. I remember having this talk with my oldest who was 8 at the time and I was very honest with her. They do this for the high feeling but its actually killing brain cells. My worry is someone might say "want to play a game" and start choking a child.

I don't feel this might increase curiosity. Some parents worry if they educate about drugs or sex, this might encourage or peak the kids curiosity but I don't think it does. The danger is when they try this on their own and it fails.

[Indie'sOK]

Geez, usually when most kids are bored they just play video games. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with people?

Originally Posted by lynn P.

This has been around for a long time but there's increasing popularity. Its terrible there's youtube videos of this too. I remember having this talk with my oldest who was 8 at the time and I was very honest with her. They do this for the high feeling but its actually killing brain cells. My worry is someone might say "want to play a game" and start choking a child.

I don't feel this might increase curiosity. Some parents worry if they educate about drugs or sex, this might encourage or peak the kids curiosity but I don't think it does. The danger is when they try this on their own and it fails.

Wow, a lightbulb went off as I read that Lynn. That is true, it is better to educate them about it than have them ignorantly walk into a situation that they could not handle without the information. I know what you said is true because I was not educated about drugs or sex and I know I would have benefitted from my parents telling me at least something about those issues. Thanks Lynn

[Maven]

I agree, it's better to educate, but the harder obstacle is teaching them how to face peer pressure and not give in to it. I remember when I was young, while I didn't get into anything dangerous like smoking or drugs, I would sometimes "go along with the crowd" to fit in.

[lynn P.]

Originally Posted by Maven

I agree, it's better to educate, but the harder obstacle is teaching them how to face peer pressure and not give in to it. I remember when I was young, while I didn't get into anything dangerous like smoking or drugs, I would sometimes "go along with the crowd" to fit in.

You're absolutely right ((Maven)). I'm lucky to have both daughters be independent thinkers and they have leader type personalities....especially my oldest daughter. I only have experience with girls, but I've been nurturing strong self esteem and taught them how to be assertive when they need to be.

If your child seems to have the tendency to follow, you can teach them how to avoid it, with role playing. Sometimes its simple just to walk away from the bad situation or one day they may be confronted - like someone offering drugs, alcohol, going along with bullying, the choking game or any other group behavior. That's why its important to role play and pretend you're offering the bad behavior ....then ask "what would you say or do?" I've always taught my girls to "march to the beat of your own drum," when in doubt the behaviors wrong. We also talk a great deal about their day and how they feel.

Originally Posted by Ladyzero

May I ask, is cinnamon poisonous ? ? ? Excuse my ignorance, I don't get it !
I've heard of the alcohol in the eye thing, but alcohol tampons ? What a strange way to get drunk. I just can't imagine it ! What ever next ? Alcohol suppositories ? Hell, I take my alcohol in a glass, thanks !

Cinnamon isn't poison, however it is inhaled into the lungs as a powder form and can suffocate. taken by the teaspoonful dry is the dangerous part.
warm thoughts

[Neversolost]

"Just don't kill yourself because your parents will be sad." That kind of comment makes me think thousands of brain cells have already been lost.
Why are parents today afraid to supervise their kids??

[lynn P.]

Originally Posted by Neversolost

"Just don't kill yourself because your parents will be sad." That kind of comment makes me think thousands of brain cells have already been lost.
Why are parents today afraid to supervise their kids??

Was that quote in one of the links? Saying that isn't enough and we need to explain it better. I agree we need to supervise our children more. Most kids who end up dead, is because they tried this alone and didn't know they might die. I agree even doing this until consciousness is lost but not deadly, is damaging to brain cells. I basically told my kids the truth and told them to tell an adult if they see someone trying this.

Some adults do this but its to enhance them sexually. A famous actor died this way and its called Auto-erotic Asphyxiation

[RedBarchetta]

I heard about this some time ago - had the same question then as now -

Really? - They do this to get a high?
Out of all the ways you might be able to "catch a buzz" they have to pick something soooooooo dangerous!??!?

Wake up people!

[shezbut]

Originally Posted by RedBarchetta

I heard about this some time ago - had the same question then as now -

Really? - They do this to get a high?
Out of all the ways you might be able to "catch a buzz" they have to pick something soooooooo dangerous!??!?

Wake up people!

I know that it seems stupid to us, most of us commenting are full grown adults. We forget that even teens are often naive. We forget how common it is for teens to feel invincible ~ as though they will live forever, just the way they are living now. They haven't quite grasped the concept of long-term consequences yet.

That is why it's so important that we (as parents, caregivers, etc.) need to educate children not to follow the crowd & do whatever, just to be accepted. Teens need to be educated to use their reasoning skills whenever their spines start tickling, their senses are warning them of danger. Hopefully, they will then remember how we explained that this is a "game" with very serious consequences and choose to leave the party.

As I stated in an earlier post, I did partake in playing this game myself 30 years (or so) ago. My sister and her friends are 4 years older than I, which is a big difference in 6th grade! I was very vulnerable ~ an optimal victim, as I didn't know any better at that time. I had those scared feelings inside, but I didn't listen to my worries...and I didn't have a fall system that I could rely upon to help me through situations like these. My point is that children who aren't being fully cared for at home are at the biggest risk of danger. Caring includes protecting and educating...which takes extra time and effort, imho.

[crepesaredelicious]

I remember when my friend showed me a video of her doing this game with her friend. It was shocking! Her friend passed out on the floor, and had hit her head on the dresser. I just never understood why people play this game, but I have heard of people dying or becoming hurt severely.