Time to ban the choking Game!!
Think of the children!
Maybe ban dog leashes, bungee cords, scarves and belts
A South Carolina boy who just started the sixth grade has died while
playing the choking game, a tragic fad responsible for the deaths of
other youngsters over the years, according to reports.
Eleven-year-old Garrett Pope Jr. of Indian Land, was found dead in his
bedroom Wednesday after playing the game, which causes children to pass
out and wake up with a euphoric rush.
He took this terrible game too far, the boys grief-stricken father
said on Facebook Friday.
Garrett Pope Sr. urged other parents to do whatever they can do to
prevent a similar tragedy.
Stacy Pope told the Rocky Hill Herald her son was the best. She told
the paper a summer football coach told her about the game. She said she
mentioned it to her son who didnt know anything about it.
I should have pushed it further, she told the paper. If you talk to
your kids and they said they dont know about it, dont stop there. You
educate them on what it is, its not a game and it can kill you.
The local coroner said Garretts death was due to accidental
asphyxiation, the paper reported. His funeral service is Tuesday.
In 2008 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control of Disease issued a report
that found that 82 children from 6 to 19 had choked themselves to death
with dog leashes, bungee cords, scarves and belts while playing the
choking game from 1995 to 2007.
All but a few were boys, at an average age of about 13, the CDC found.
The Lancaster News reported that school administrators would be
discussing Garretts death.
We have been made aware of these parents concerns and will
investigate this to take every step possible to address their concerns
in an effort to protect all of our children, Lancaster County School
District spokesman David Knight told the paper.
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