The "Choking game", a fatal high

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Nothing could have been more terrifying for parents Jill and Paul Fung of Lexington,SC than to hear the news that their 11 year old son was dead.  What makes it more disturbing is how their son Spencer Fung died. The latest rage on Youtube and elsewhere for those seeking a quick "high" drug free is called the "choking game".  His death was less than 3 months ago and his story needs to be told to the public. For more on his story see:  Parents have a warning after son dies playing the "choking game"
 



The game involves various forms of asphyxiation whereas the participant chokes themselves just short of passing out. The effect of cutting off blood flow to the brain results in a temporary "high". What is not temporary however, is when it results in death.
A disturbing fact that needs to change as there are no public health agencies tracking the number of deaths that occur from this deadly practice, although many  people are quite aware of it.
A report published from the CDC estimates that between 800 to 1,000 children between the ages of 10 to 19 die of strangulation every year. Most are recorded as suicides, however, the grim reality may be that many of these reported suicides were accidental, brought on by the practice of self asphyxiation.
For more information on this disturbing new "high", see The DB Foundation. This site also has a partial list of many of the victims that experienced a "fatal" high.

Warning signs that your child may be involved with "The Choking Game"
This is a partial list of signs as reported by the Center for Disease Control.
Parents, educators, health-care providers, or peers may observe any of the following signs that can indicate a child has been involved in the choking game:

• Discussion of the game or its aliases
• Bloodshot eyes
• Marks on the neck
• Wearing high-necked shirts, even in warm weather
• Frequent, severe headaches
• Disorientation after spending time alone
• Increased and uncharacteristic irritability or hostility
• Ropes, scarves, and belts tied to bedroom furniture or doorknobs or found knotted on the floor
• The unexplained presence of dog leashes, choke collars, bungee cords, etc.
• Petechiae (pinpoint bleeding spots) under the skin of the face, especially the eyelids, or the conjunctiva (the lining of the eyelids and eyes)

Related articles

• I never knew: the choking game 
• The choking game: is your child at risk? 
• Facebook choking game claims life of Brandon Stine, 11, at home in Michigan 

Heroin Statistics

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The negative impact of pure Heroin alone can cause a multitude of problems for anyone addicted, however, in its street form, it can have many more impurities mixed into the drug that do not dissolve into the blood stream. These impurities can cause blockages in the circulatory system that can cause many internal organs to shut down.
A Heroin user pays anywhere from $150.00 and up daily to support their addiction.

51 percent of all accidents reported in hospital emergency rooms as far back as 1999 was attributed to Heroin and Morphine abuse, it has increased significantly since then.
 
3.8 million people (1.5 percent of the population above 12) say they have tried heroin at least once in their lifetimes.

560,000 people used heroin last year. Current estimates suggest that nearly 600,000 people need treatment for heroin addiction.

338,000 people used heroin last month.

The rate of heroin lifetime heroin use is higher among those in prison (23.4 percent for State and 17.9 percent for Federal).

 In the 25 to 49 age group, illicit drug overdose is the fourth leading cause of death, about the same number as motor vehicle crashes.
Children as young as 13 have been found involved in heroin abuse. According to statistics in 1999 heroin overdose has caused more deaths than traffic accidents.
The 1999 National Household Survey on drug abuse (NHSDA) estimated that there were 149,000 new heroin users in 1998 and that nearly 80 percent were under the age of 26.
Of approximately 1.2 million "sometime" heroin users in the US, about 208,000 use it habitually.
 Last year, there were approximately 84,000 visits to emergency rooms in the US due to heroin.
 Over 80% of heroin users inject with a partner, yet 80% of overdose victims found by paramedics are alone.
 The dependent person use between 150 - 250 milligrams per day. Divide into 3 doses.
 The heroin addict spends between $150 to $200 per day to maintain a heroin addiction.
In 1998. 65% of the heroin seized in the United States originated in South America, and 17% came from Mexico.
Slang terms for heroin include: smack, mud, dope, horse, junk, brown sugar, big H, and black tar.
Street names associated with heroin include "smack," "H," "skag," and "junk." Other names may refer to types of heroin produced in a specific geographical area, such as "Mexican black tar."
Good news about teens and heroin substance abuse
Amongst young adults and college students, heroin use is not seeing the decline it has in teenagers. Perhaps this older age group feels the risks are acceptable. A slight increase in heroin users in college students is seen - from 0.1 percent to 0.2 percent. Additionally, in young adults, those reporting that they have used heroin at least once in their lifetimes has increased from 1.7 percent in 2005 to 1.9 percent. It is a small increase, and one that shows that heroin substance abuse among young adults is stable, and perhaps growing slightly.
First time heroin users
According to NSDUH information, in the last year about 91,000 persons over the age of 12 used heroin for the first time. Amongst recent first time heroin users, aged 12 to 49, the average age was 20.7. This indicates that many heroin users wait until they leave their teenagers years to begin using the drug.

Ecstasy Side Effects

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Brain imaging research in humans indicate that Ecstasy causes injury to the brain, affecting neurons that use the chemical serotonin to communicate with other neurons. The serotonin system plays a direct role in regulating mood, aggression, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain. Many of the side effects users face with Ecstasy use are similar to those found with the use of cocaine and amphetamines.

• In July of  2000,  16 boxes  containing 2.1 million ecstasy pills, with a value of approximately $41 million, were taken by the US Customs Service at Los Angeles International Airport.
• Medical reports and psychical examinations often  show that individuals who have taken ecstasy at least 25 times have decreased amounts of serotonin in their brain  for a period of a year after the last usage.
• About 5.5% of  adults aged 19-22 years of age reported they have taken ecstasy this year.
• Episodes in emergency rooms related with ecstasy grew all over the nation from 250 in 1994, to  to 2,850 in 1999.
• The production of  MDMA tablets' is concentrated in Belgium and the Netherlands, but some groups have found secret MDMA laboratories in places like  Minneapolis, San Diego, and regions of Michigan and South Florida.
• From the year 1999 to 2000, students who take MDMA have notably grown.  Last year the usage of MDMA grew from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 3.1 percent in 2000 among 8th grade students, from 4.4 percent to 5.4 percent among 10th grade students, from 5.6 percent to 8.2 percent among 12th grade students.
• Last year ecstasy addicts  ranging in ages from 12 to 25  surveyed admitted to having  taken other illegal drugs.

For more information on this drug and where to get help, see : The Addicted Family
or call :
to discuss treatment

1-877-398-4144

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Cocaine Statistics

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Cocaine Effects
Cocaine effects are extremely detrimental on the body and the consequences related to cocaine effects can eventually lead to permanent damage, addiction and death. While each person who uses this drug reacts to it differently, there are two distinct categories of cocaine effects: short-term effects and long-term effects. Even if a person has only used cocaine once, he/she can experience short-term cocaine effects. Long-term cocaine effects appear after increased periods of use and are dependent upon the duration of time and amount of cocaine that has been consumed.
 Cocaine Statistics

• 1 of 4 surveyed Americans  ranging in age between  26-34 years of age,  have  taken drugs.
• Minnesota Institute for Public Health and drug prevention resource center reports  that 5,000 adults in America take cocaine for the first time each day. (1985)
• Current statistics show  that  between 22-25 million people have  taken cocaine at least one time in their life. Various data reports indicate that there are more than two million cocaine-users in America today.
• In comparison with old estimates, a large amount of cocaine can still be subject to detection from 10 to 22 days after the use in the users system.
• Over half of all emergency room visits are cocaine related.
• Every year the number of cocaine addicts continues to grow. In 1975 the estimated  numbers were around  30,000.By 1986 it was estimated to be around 300,000 and to 361,000 in 2000.
• The percent of drug-users among  students over the past 5 years  increased from 2% in 1994 to 4.8% in 2000.
• 8.2% of  all  high school pupils surveyed in 2001 reported that they had taken cocaine.
• Men take cocaine twice as often as women take it.
• The amount of people, who have taken marijuana before using cocaine is 90%.
• About 300,000 babies were born in 1988 with cocaine in their systems.

Where to find help...

• Online Support Groups
• Treatment Centers

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Cocaine Statistics - National Addictions | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/addictions-in-national/cocaine-statistics#ixzz1DZw0wVFw