This diary isn't about politics. I know there are many parents who frequent this site, so maybe this information will save a life. 3 days ago, a 14 year old boy in my town died. He was playing a game commonly known here as the "Pass-out Game". It is also known by many other names, including the "Choking Game". He was at home, on Sunday night, and he was playing it by himself. His mother found him hanging in his closet. He was in the 8th grade. It is not believed to have been a suicide.
I have a daughter in the 8th grade. Although they did not attend the same school, she did know him. We had heard about the "Pass-out game" a few months ago. I talked to my daughter about it and she assured me that she never had, nor would she ever, play it. We talked about the fact that she could die if she played it, and that if she ever saw anyone playing it, she was to tell an adult. When I caught the tail-end of a news program about a boy who had died from it, I made her watch the rest. She told me she wasn't stupid.
Her best friend had seen some other friends play it. Her mother told the girl's mother at whose house it had happened, and also told the Principal at their school. An e-mail was sent out warning parents about the dangers of this game. But in hindsight, it doesn't seem like enough.
What if there had been a community-wide effort to inform parents? Signing up to the e-mail list is voluntary; not all parents got the message. I feel like we, and I, could have done more; though I don't think anyone really thought it could happen here. But if we had, then maybe my daughter would not have had to attend a funeral yesterday.
For more information, please use this link:
http://www.deadlygameschildrenplay.com/...