Date: April 22, 2010

Attention: ASCIP Members

Subject: The Choking Game

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Recently, several Members have expressed concerns over the activities of students during recess, physical education and other non-traditional classroom times whereby students are choking each other in an effort to get high. While this is considered a "game" to students, this activity can cause death and/or permanent brain damage.

The choking game is an intentional activity in which students suffocate each other by various methods, including: strangling themselves (or others) with belts, ropes, their bare hands, or placing great pressure on their chest in an effort to hyperventilate. After a short period of time, the students release the strangulation method which allows the body's blood to resume flowing thereby creating a dizzying and/or warming sensation in the brain. Maintaining a strangulation technique too long may accidently cause death and/or brain damage.

The choking game may be referred to by many names. The organization G.A.S.P. has listed the following names: California High, Space Monkey, Roulette, Rising Sun, Airplaning, Space Cowboy, American Dream, Funky Chicken, Tingling, GASP, Passout, Suffocation, Blackout and Flatliner.

In the event students are witnessed playing this game or speaking about playing this game, school site staff should immediately take action to end the game. Staff should call 9-1-1 in the event that any student has passed out or becomes unconscious. Students not passing out nor becoming unconscious should be sent to the school nurse for observation. Failure of school site staff to respond may subject the Member organization to adverse liability for failure to supervise.

Schools may elect to ensure that parents are aware of the concerns related to the choking game and where suspect activities are observed, develop a mechanism by which those parents might be alerted to such activities. To learn more about the choking game visit www.gaspinfo.com ..

ASCIP Staff is available to answer any questions regarding these activities.