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
