The Choking "Game"

Ever heard of it? Well, for those of you who don't know, it's a pastime that's becoming increasingly popular among teenagers (especially the younger ones) and preteens. In this game, the kids strangle themselves--either having a friend choke them by tying a rope or a belt around their neck, or by hyperventilating--for a short time. When they start to breathe again, the sudden rush of air gives them a high that becomes very addictive. It goes without saying that this "game" is very dangerous; it so often ends in severe brain damage or death.

If this is your first time hearing about this game, and if you're like me, you're probably thinking "Okay, who'd be stupid enough to strangle themself?" I remember sitting in science class in my freshman year, rolling my eyes as my science teacher went on yet another rant about how stupid teenagers are, and telling us we're so stupid for hyperventilating to get high and don't we know we're killing brain cells. I thought "Seriously, who would do that?" I've hyperventilated quite a few times--not on purpose, mind you--and my experience with that has always been negative.

The summer before that, I had gone to Georgia on vacation to visit family and friends. As is usually the case in family gatherings, I met many cousins that I never knew I had. One of them was only a year younger than my sister and I, so we hung out with her and her two younger sisters. Even though we didn't talk much, we had a lot of fun just playing games and hanging out at the park. I envied her good looks and grace. I saw her again the next summer, this time at a pool. Again, none of us did much talking. We just had fun swimming. I figured we'd have the rest of our lives to get to know each other better.

She died in October of 2008.

I was practicing the harp when the phone rang. My mom answered and talked for a couple minutes, and then hung up, looking upset. I asked her what was wrong, and she told me the news. My cousin had been found dead in her room that morning. I was so upset at the news that my nose bled. She was so young, so vibrant, so alive, how could she possibly be dead? She was only fifteen! I never found out how she died until a year later. She'd started doing the choking game with her friends (I'm not sure how long she'd been doing it), who would cut the ribbon when she needed them to. The night she died, she was alone. She tied the ribbon around her neck, but couldn't cut it in time. I can't even imagine how terrified and alone she must have felt in her last moments.

When my mom found out, she sat my younger brother down and told him about the "game," and how dangerous it is, and how our cousin had accidentally killed herself from it. My mom's sister did the same with her daughters. If you have a younger sister or brother that is a teen or preteen, I urge you to do the same. Tell them it's not a game. Chances are they already know, but you can't be too careful. My cousin was smart; you would've thought she would have known better. But her 16th birthday was celebrated with a boquet of daisies and festive Sweet 16 balloons decorating her grave.