The San Antonio Express News reported yesterday on yet another senseless choking game injury. In this most recent case, a 15 year old military school cadet was found in his room by his roommate. As of the date of the report, the student was in intensive care.
The incidences of "choking game" injuries and deaths continue to increase. For more information, please see my prior posts here.
The map to the left, from The Dylan Blake Foundation, shows the number of choking game deaths in 2005.
To see just how widespread this problem is, click here for the latest news stories containing the works "choking game" -- it's truly frightening.
The youth's roommate at the Marine Military Academy, a college
preparatory boarding school, found him unresponsive Saturday afternoon
with either a belt or rope around his neck, said Harlingen police
spokesman David Osborne. Other cadets gave him
resuscitation before paramedics took him to Valley Baptist Medical
Center, where he was listed in critical condition Monday but was said
to be improving. "It appears to be the asphyxiation game
or the choking game," Osborne said, saying it wasn't an attempted
suicide but rather an attempt to gain a "euphoric high" by cutting off
circulation to the brain. "He was found with an item
around his neck, and he was actually blue in the face," Osborne said.
"It can be for a myriad of things. We don't know if it was just to get
a rush or if it's sexual." The student is about 15; officials didn't release his name. Osborne said there was a similar case in Brownsville within the past month, in which a boy died.
Last year, a group of Alamo Heights Junior High students were caught
playing the choking game. No one was hurt; all got in-school
suspensions. According to the Web site
stop-the-choking-game.com, five Texas youths have died this year from
injuries suffered while playing the game. "People don't
think this is dangerous because they aren't using any drugs, but in
some cases they will do it as an alternative to get high," Osborne
said. "We want parents to be aware of these dangers because it's
becoming a growing trend." Retired Marine Col. Glenn
Hall, the superintendent of the academy, said it's the first incident
of its kind he knows of at the school. "It was a tragic event, and we are very encouraged by his improved condition," Hall said.
All 340 cadets at the school, who come from 30 states and nine
countries, have had access to counselors, he said. Express-News researcher Kevin Frazzini contributed to this report. Valley teen critical in wake of choking
Web Posted: 10/30/2006 10:39 PM CST
HARLINGEN — A young military school
cadet remains in intensive care after intentionally choking himself for
the thrill of it, a growing trend among boys as young as 10, officials
said.
[email protected]
Online at: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA103106.05B.selfstrangle.2ff4063.html
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