Talk to Your Kids About the Choking Game

Please, do it. Even if you think he or she is a tad too young, or that it might create temptation. The parents of Breanna Anderson, the smart, beautiful Holly Springs High School teen who died of this horrible game March 22, want as many parents as possible to communicate with their children about what the choking game is and how it can kill.

I read about this today in the Southwest Wake News, but heard about it originally in March just after the news broke. Out of respect to the Anderson family, I chose not to address this here right after it happened. But now, Jay and Susan Anderson are working on creating a website and canvassing local schools to get the word out about the dangerous game, so I felt it was appropriate to extend their mission here, at Triangle TRACKS. We'll inform you of the Andersons' website once it has been created. For now, you can learn all of the facts about the Choking Game at www.stop-the-choking-game.com.

My oldest child is in 6th grade. I sat down with him today and read the Southwest Wake News article to him. I told him it kills between 250 and 1,000 kids between 9 and 16 years old each year, answered his questions, made sure he understood the seriousness of this dangerous game and told him to talk to us if he ever is exposed to the game, or is around people who are playing it. Keep the doors open (literally!), look for the signs and stay on top of what many call "the smart kids' high." Here is a video explaining how the choking game works (source: Games Adolescents Shouldn't Play, GASP.com). Warning: this is VERY difficult to watch, but that isn't stopping me from showing it to my 10- and 11-year-old sons first thing tomorrow:

http://www.stop-the-choking-game.com/en/flash_vid.html