82 U.S. kids died playing choking game: CDC

At least 82 children and teens in the United States have died as a result of playing the "choking game" over the past decade,astudy by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventionreports.

The so-calledgame also known as the pass-out, blackout,and scarf game involves intentionally choking oneself or being choked by someone else to the point where the player experiences a brief state of euphoria or a high.

The study, released Thursday in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, is the first tally of choking game-related deaths.

Researchers, counting media reports dating from 1995, found that 82 children aged 6 to 19 died while playing thegame. They did not include deaths where a connection to the choking game was unclear. The authors say the study probably underestimates the number of deaths because the search was limited to a news database thatdid not include local television reports and becausespecificcauses of deaths are not reported in all cases.

The study found the bulk of the deaths, nearly 90 per cent, occurred among males and most deaths occurred among players aged 11 to 16, with an average age of 13. Researchers found that most deaths,95.7 per cent, happened among youth playing the game alone. Choking game-related deaths were reported in 31 states.

A handful of Canadian deaths have been attributed to the game since 2001, including nine-year-old Albertan Kalib Bryant, Ontarian Jesse Grant, 12, andNova Scotia teen Jesse Daviau.

Reported deaths on the rise

In January 2008, two Grade 12 students from Harvey Station, N.B., about 50 kilometres southwest of Fredericton, were suspended, removed fromthe basketball team and barred from playing other school sportsafter they offered to teach four Grade 9 students how to play the game while on an overnight basketball team trip.

The U.S. study also found that the number ofreported choking game-related deathsis on the rise. From 1995, when the first associated death was reported,through 2004 there werethree or fewer related deaths reported in the media. In 2005, 22 deaths were reported and the number increasedagain to 35 in 2006. There was a decrease in the first 10 months of 2007, with nine deaths.

Researchers said the increased reports could be due in part to increased awareness of the game, and last year's decrease could indicate either a decrease in activity or waning attention.

Signs towatch for

"This report is an important first step in identifying the choking game as a public health problem," said Ileana Arias, director of CDC's Injury Center, in a release. "More research is needed to identify risk factors that may contribute to kids playing the choking game and to determine what may help to reduce this type of behaviour."

In most cases of deaths, the children were playing alone and their parents were not aware of the game, the researchers said.

"Because most parents in the study had not heard of the choking game, we hope to raise awareness of the choking game among parents, health-care providers and educators, so they can recognize warning signs of the activity," said lead author Robin L. Toblin in a release. "This is especially important because children themselves may not appreciate the dangers of this activity."

The CDC says signsa child or teen may be playing the game include:

• Discussion of the game.
• Bloodshot eyes.
• Marks on the neck.
• Severe headaches.
• Disorientation after time spent alone.
• Ropes, scarves and belts tied to furniture, doorknobs or found knotted on the floor.
• Unexplained presence of things like dog leashes, choke collars and bungee cords.

Parents who believe their child is playing the game should speak to them about the life-threatening dangers and seek additional help if necessary, the CDC says.