CNN reports today of the tragic death of a 10-year-old boy in Idaho who died while trying to (almost) hang himself to see what hallucinogenic properties near suffocation has.  The reporter for the CNN article seems never to have heard of this.  A child psychologist is quoted as saying, "Though the so-called game is new to many adults, it's likely something that children have been doing for a long time."

Good gravy, I'm from Lubbock, Texas and I've known about this for a long time.  I would venture to say that for centuries humans have been intrigued by the hedonistic properties of near suffocation, either alone or in concert with drugs and/or sexual activity.  I think the practice got a lot of press during the Preppy Murder Trial, and I even remember my senior English teacher mentioning it in connection with Waiting for Godot.  As I am busy researching gambling sites and porn sites, I don't have the time to venture into the lurid research task of tracing the origins of this practice, but it's safe to say that many adults know about it.  And even though it seems obvious, we should tell our kids not to try to suffocate themselves.

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