Feb 14, 2008 11:00 pm US/Eastern
Upper Moreland Officer Weighs In On Choking Game
UPPER MORELAND TWP., Pa. (CBS 3) ―
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Officer Metheny is part of a national support group called G.A.S.P. On the website parents post pictures of choking game victims. Most are boys because they tend to be risk takers, but Officer Metheny said girls are playing as well.
CBS
The Center for Disease Control released new statistics after the number of alarming deaths associated to a sometimes fatal game some youths play.
One Upper Moreland Township police officer is quickly emerging as one of the experts in the field of the 'choking game.'
The choking game is initiated when children deliberately choke themselves or one another until they pass out, feeling a sort of euphoric state. The big problem is some of the children are not waking up and now the CDC is calling this a public health problem.
"I heard that kids were choking themselves and I thought they were just like having problems with their lives," student Lance Cobbs said.
Classmates told students about the game, but the deadly consequences came from Officer Scott Metheny who over the past few years has been educating students and parents.
"I've asked the students about how many have heard of it and over 70 percent of the kids raised their hands," Upper Moreland Police Officer Scott Metheny said.
The CDC released their study on the choking game Thursday and according to their conclusion: 82 youths died as a result of playing the choking game. 87 percent were male, mostly between the ages of 11-16.
But the statistics came from media reports, not death certificates which often list suicide as the cause.
"A lot of times, being in police departments, we don't release juvenile's death because it's a sensitive nature. So the numbers I think are extremely low," Officer Metheny said.
Officer Metheny is part of a national support group called G.A.S.P. On the web site, parents post pictures of choking game victims. Most are boys because they tend to be risk takers, but Officer Metheny said girls are playing as well.
"And me talking with these kids the majority of people doing it are girls. A lot of time girls don't like to do activities alone, they'll do it in a group. They get scared off a little quicker," Officer Metheny said.
Officer Metheny said parents should look out for signs including; bloodshot eyes, marks on the neck, severe headaches, ropes, scarves and belts tied on bedroom furniture or door knobs.
"When kids are saying wow that felt weird, they are literally feeling their brain dying," Officer Metheny said.
Officer Metheny is glad the CDC is looking into the choking game, but wants them to do more to classify deaths associated to the problem properly.
For more information visit:
www.gaspinfo.com.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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