The Choking Game...

News reports about the "Choking Game" lists 82 deaths spread across 31 states as determined by the CDC. Nearly 90 percent were boys, at an average age of about 13. Eighty-two seems like a lot ... enough to read the story maybe ... but then that is what the number is designed to do and that's what bothers me. Because the use of a total count (spanning twelve years and making it seem that all eighty-two deaths occurred recently) is insanely misleading. Making the count seem like an epidemic vs the reality that the numbers of deaths are in decline: compare three or fewer deaths reported from 1995 through 2004, 22 in 2005, 35 in 2006 and then dropping to just 9 in 2007.

The report was quick to point out that the game is also known by names that include "blackout," "space monkey" and "pass out," and is easily findable on YouTube. Is the report designed to increase the numbers ... ie copycats ... or is news just slow this week.

Curious, I went to http://www.scarleteen.com/, hoping to find a warning or article on the subject, and found nothing, which was disappointing because teens do use this resource.

So, the question is, since the media seems intent on making a big deal out of this, shouldn't we at least address the issue with our kids? I mean, I have never sat my daughters down to address choking ... lots of other fetish topics but never choking ... and now, because of what I see as irresponsible reporting, I'm going to talk to my youngest (It is also a primo opportunity to talk to my daughter about Yellow Journalism which in my book is the bigger story.) For Beautiful Girl, a requested conversation won't be a surprise ... because our random, "Sit down, we need to talk about something," has become a regular interruption in her normally scheduled day.