Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
'Choking Game' Reported Among Local Teens 'They Could Literally Die,' Doctors Say
http://www.kptv.com/health/21663763/detail.html
KALAMA, Wash. -- Kalama police are investigating reports of at least 10 high school students choking each other last week in what doctors call the "choking game."The students created a video of themselves choking each other until they passed out and posted it on YouTube. The video has since been removed.Michael Vanoni, a sophomore at Kalama High School, said the group played the game "for the fun of it.""We were in sleeper holds until our arm fell down. When our arm fell down, they would let us go," Vanoni said. "We were actually out cold."Vanoni said seventh-graders watched the older teenagers pass out on purpose."We were bored at our friend's house on Friday night," he said.Doctors said parents of students who take part in the choking game should be concerned."This is really a bad idea," said Ray Moreno, an emergency room physician at Providence St. Vincent hospital. "This is not a benign thing."Moreno said teenagers may not recognize the danger in getting high by cutting off their blood supply."As you're looking at them shouting for them to wake up, they're not going to wake up," Moreno said. "They could literally die there."The Internet is full of clips similar to the one posted by the Kalama teenagers. Many of the videos have warnings.Kalama police said they're investigating any potential criminal reckless endangerment.Vanoni said he and his friends don't plan to choke each other anymore."I found out what could really happen," he said. "(You) can actually get brain damage."Moreno said parents should treat the fad as any other potentially deadly behavior. He recommends speaking with teenagers and warning them before it is too late.
'Choking Game' Reported At HS; Police Investigate
KALAMA, Wash. -- Kalama police are investigating reports of at least 10 high school students choking each other last week in what doctors call the "choking game."The students created a video of themselves choking each other until they passed out and posted it on YouTube. The video has since been removed.Michael Vanoni, a sophomore at Kalama High School, said the group played the game "for the fun of it.""We were in sleeper holds until our arm fell down. When our arm fell down, they would let us go," Vanoni said. "We were actually out cold."Vanoni said seventh-graders watched the older teenagers pass out on purpose."We were bored at our friend's house on Friday night," he said.Doctors said parents of students who take part in the choking game should be concerned."This is really a bad idea," said Ray Moreno, an emergency room physician at Providence St. Vincent hospital. "This is not a benign thing."Moreno said teenagers may not recognize the danger in getting high by cutting off their blood supply."As you're looking at them shouting for them to wake up, they're not going to wake up," Moreno said. "They could literally die there."The Internet is full of clips similar to the one posted by the Kalama teenagers. Many of the videos have warnings.Kalama police said they're investigating any potential criminal reckless endangerment.Vanoni said he and his friends don't plan to choke each other anymore."I found out what could really happen," he said. "(You) can actually get brain damage."Moreno said parents should treat the fad as any other potentially deadly behavior. He recommends speaking with teenagers and warning them before it is too late.
'Choking Game' Reported At HS; Police Investigate
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Is the choking game taking victims in YOUR backyard? UPDATED interactive map of the victims in the United States
Chances are kids in your area already know about the Choking Game.
What they DO NOT know are the dangers (i.e. death, stroke, seizures, retinal damage, etc)
. We must educate adults and child of these dangers!
Zoom in to your State, your City to examine the cases in your area
Friday, October 30, 2009
Kevin Tork's Family speaks to kids in WA
http://www.nwcn.com/news/Family-struck-by-choking-game-tragedy-reaching-out-to-students-67327582.html
CHIMACUM, Wash. - In the town of Chimacum, folks still talk about the state champion baseball team from a few years back. The center of activity is the town's 54-year-old café, right next door to the feed store. It's consummate small town America and mind-numbingly dull to kids.
"It's not much to do except for the same stuff that you've already done," said one teen.
One thing most kids here hadn't done before until recently was something called "the choking game" where one person chokes another cutting off blood to the brain.
"Why do you think people are doing this? Because they think it's fun and they want to get high off of it for a couple seconds," said Julia Casal, witness.
Julia and classmate Bethany saw it happen a few weeks ago at Chimacum Middle School. An 8th grade boy collapsed to the floor right before their eyes in their morning English class.
"I was really shocked. I didn't know what to do. I thought he was going to die," said Julia
"I learned about it from a couple friends," said the boy who admitted to choking his classmate.
He said about half of the boys in the 8th grade alone have tried the choking game, never thinking about the possible consequences - until now.
"I mean I've done something that has killed people and I just," said the boy. "I don't really know what to feel. I mean, I feel stupid."
It would be convenient to pass this off as an isolated incident, a small town thing that rarely happens, but that would be a lie. The choking game is killing countless kids all across our country.
No one knows that better than the Tork Family of Issaquah. Eleven-year-old Kelly Tork called 9-1-1 after finding her brother Kevin unconscious in his room this past March. He had been playing the choking game by himself.
9-1-1 dispatcher: Go ahead and get him flat on his back on the floor. I can give you CPR instructions, okay?
Kelly: Please help me, I'm only 11 years old.
9-1-1 dispatcher: Okay.
Kevin's father, Ken Tork, is using the agony of losing a son to open people's eyes to what's going on.
"There are no winners when you play the choking game," he said.
He told his family's story to anyone who would listen at an assembly at Chimacum Middle School in response to the recent incident there.
"They actually had Kevin's heart beating, and he was breathing, but he dies on the way to the hospital," Ken told students.
It's an intensely personal look at the losers left behind by the choking game, complete with that 9-1-1 call, pictures from the 15-year-old's funeral and a father's final kiss to his beloved boy.
"I can't save my son, but if I can save one of you," Ken told the students.
By the assembly's end, there was evidence the kids were getting the message by the family filling the void left by a deadly game.
"One kid comes up and hugs you and says 'Thank you for coming here today.' That's why we do this," said Ken.
There have been at least 28 more deaths attributed to the choking game worldwide just since March. Ken Tork believes the actual number is much higher because there is no procedure to accurately track them.
For more information, go to www.chokinggame.net and www.forkevinssake.wordpress.com.
Posted on October 29, 2009 at 10:53 PM
CHIMACUM, Wash. - In the town of Chimacum, folks still talk about the state champion baseball team from a few years back. The center of activity is the town's 54-year-old café, right next door to the feed store. It's consummate small town America and mind-numbingly dull to kids.
"It's not much to do except for the same stuff that you've already done," said one teen.
One thing most kids here hadn't done before until recently was something called "the choking game" where one person chokes another cutting off blood to the brain.
"Why do you think people are doing this? Because they think it's fun and they want to get high off of it for a couple seconds," said Julia Casal, witness.
Julia and classmate Bethany saw it happen a few weeks ago at Chimacum Middle School. An 8th grade boy collapsed to the floor right before their eyes in their morning English class.
"I was really shocked. I didn't know what to do. I thought he was going to die," said Julia
"I learned about it from a couple friends," said the boy who admitted to choking his classmate.
He said about half of the boys in the 8th grade alone have tried the choking game, never thinking about the possible consequences - until now.
"I mean I've done something that has killed people and I just," said the boy. "I don't really know what to feel. I mean, I feel stupid."
It would be convenient to pass this off as an isolated incident, a small town thing that rarely happens, but that would be a lie. The choking game is killing countless kids all across our country.
No one knows that better than the Tork Family of Issaquah. Eleven-year-old Kelly Tork called 9-1-1 after finding her brother Kevin unconscious in his room this past March. He had been playing the choking game by himself.
9-1-1 dispatcher: Go ahead and get him flat on his back on the floor. I can give you CPR instructions, okay?
Kelly: Please help me, I'm only 11 years old.
9-1-1 dispatcher: Okay.
Kevin's father, Ken Tork, is using the agony of losing a son to open people's eyes to what's going on.
"There are no winners when you play the choking game," he said.
He told his family's story to anyone who would listen at an assembly at Chimacum Middle School in response to the recent incident there.
"They actually had Kevin's heart beating, and he was breathing, but he dies on the way to the hospital," Ken told students.
It's an intensely personal look at the losers left behind by the choking game, complete with that 9-1-1 call, pictures from the 15-year-old's funeral and a father's final kiss to his beloved boy.
"I can't save my son, but if I can save one of you," Ken told the students.
By the assembly's end, there was evidence the kids were getting the message by the family filling the void left by a deadly game.
"One kid comes up and hugs you and says 'Thank you for coming here today.' That's why we do this," said Ken.
There have been at least 28 more deaths attributed to the choking game worldwide just since March. Ken Tork believes the actual number is much higher because there is no procedure to accurately track them.
For more information, go to www.chokinggame.net and www.forkevinssake.wordpress.com.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Vote for your Fav "Wear Your Awarenss 2009" Picture!
There are so many GREAT entries in our "Wear Your Awareness" Campaign:
The 3 headed Monster, Karlee's Traveling Shirt, and The Mascot, just to name a few.
We need your help to pick a winner!
to Check them out and CAST YOUR VOTE!
All who entered are eligible to be vote for!
Vote for one picture per ballot but you may enter as many ballots as you like.
Congratulations to Ms.Lloydine for winning all weeks of the Scavenger Hunt - she really is an Awareness Warrior!
And wonderful kudos go to Mr. Aidan for being the very first OFFICIAL Wearer of Awareness 2009 - Thank you Aidan!
And thank you to all the supporters in this campaign to raise awareness for the dangers of the Choking Game.
Wear Your Awareness 2010 - look for it in April !
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
Posts
