We’ll this really has nothing to do with Tanx, but I know a lot of young people play the game and well this is something my bestfriend posted on my site and I figured I would pass it on to all of you. Think I’m stupid or lame for posting this if you want, but when my bestfriend came to me telling me his 16 year old cousin died from doing this, I thought it was worth it sharing.  

~ Nina

His Post:

I wanted to make you all aware of a deadly game more and more kids and teens are playing called The Choking Game (aka Airplane Game, Space Monkey, Blackout). 

The reason I want to make everyone aware, is because I lost a close family member to this game, and he was only 16. Teens think its a "safe, free drug" because of the high you get from it...well...its not safe....207 kids and counting have died playing this, and 14 are brain-damaged. 

What Is The Game: 

The Choking Game achieves a brief high or euphoric state by stopping the flow of oxygen containing blood to the brain. Sometimes children choke each other until the person being choked passes out. The pressure on the arteries is then released and blood flow to the brain resumes causing a "rush" as consciousness returns. There are variations of this activity which involve hyper-ventilating until the participant loses consciousness. There is a lesser chance of death but it is still not safe. Playing this game in any form causes the permanent and cumulative death of large numbers of brain cells. The variation in blood pressure may also cause strokes, seizures, and retinal damage. 

The danger becomes even greater when a ligature is used and the activity is performed by a lone child. If the child loses consciousness and there is no one there to IMMEDIATELY release the pressure, he is unable to 
help himself. The child will suffer brain damage and death certainly after three minutes. Some of those who have died were alone for as little as 15 minutes before someone found them and it was already too late. 
This activity can claim a child's life the first time it is played. Click to see a list of some of the victims of this activity. 

Why Are Kids Playing This: 

Some do it for the high which can become addictive. Others do it because it's "cool" and risky. Most of the kids who have died from this were not children in trouble. Most were well liked, active, intelligent, 
stable children who wanted nothing to do with drugs or alcohol. This was an activity they felt was safe. Children have no clue about the physiological principles involved and need to be told by the adults in their lives how dangerous this is. Also, most children have no concept of their own mortality. They truly believe nothing can hurt them. 

What Else Is It Called: 

There are numerous names for it. Space Monkey, Fainting, Pass Out Game, Black Out Game, American Dream, Flatliner or Flatline, Space Cowboy, Knock Out, Gasp, Rising Sun, Airplaning, Hawaiian High, Fainting Game, California High, Breath play, Choke Out, Cloud Nine, Dream or dreaming, Funky Chicken, Ghost, Hanging, Hyperventilation, Purple Dragon, Natural High, Something Dreaming, Suffocation or suffocation roulette, Teen Choking or Tingling . There may be others as well.

the way my family is looking at it right now...if we can save another child's life...then my cousin's death had a reason, to educate others about this deadly game, and to help prevent another family from going thru what we had to go thru. If you have ANY QUESTIONS about the game...plz ask...I have a lot of the answers as I’m also an EMT...so I see some kids who have played this and barely survived. – B.T.

If you have any questions about this you can contact me and I’ll give you his email address. 

Thanks ~ Nina