The choking game: the new dangerous trend among teenagers 2026

It seems that the imagination of teenagers and their little fear of danger have no end whatsoever. A while ago we told you about the dangerous Blue Whale challenge, a game that led teenagers to their deaths. Now, another fad has arrived (again) in schools: the shock game or 'asphyxiation game'.

The challenge is to squeeze a partner's chest until they are breathless, so that they lose consciousness for a few seconds. The objective of this is the false and widespread belief that through asphyxiation the person can reach a state of euphoria or a sensation of hallucination similar to that of ingesting drugs or consuming alcohol. Dr. María Jesús Pascual, pediatrician at the Vithas Nisa Pardo Hospital in Aravaca, warns us "this practice is often labeled as suicidal behavior, but it is not. Children seek a supposed sensation of pleasure similar to the consumption of narcotic substances."

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It is very necessary to talk about the terrible physical and psychological consequences that this latest fashion can trigger in high schools.

In the US, a 2008 study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated that, between 1995 and 2007, there had been 82 deaths of children and adolescents probably due to choking games. In fact, with so many deaths it has caused internationally, that in 2002 the APEAS Association was created in France, founded by parents of victims of bullying or dangerous practices, including this one. On this page you can find the testimonies of some parents who have lost their children after they decided to play this game in the school yard or during recreational hours with their friends. In Spain there have also been cases that have ended in death, such as in 2010, the case of a 13-year-old boy who ended up dying in Barcelona after playing the choking game.

Furthermore, since the appearance of social networks (especially Twitter and Instagram), more young people are witnessing this practice: children decide to post evidence of the crime after committing it. The result is videos in which minors are seen losing consciousness, remaining in a vegetative state for a few seconds, after which they return quite disoriented.

How can we know if our children have played or play this game?

Although it may seem almost undetectable in the eyes of parents if our children do not talk to us about it, it is true that there are some physical signs that can alert us to the problem. Among them are the following:

• Bloody eyes (due to lack of circulation for a few seconds)
• Conversations and questions about the game
• Marks on the neck or chest (due to pressure exerted by the other partner)
• severe headaches
• Confusion or disorientation when spending time alone or leaving your room
• Epileptic symptoms

What are the consequences that playing this game can entail?

In the words of Dr. María Jesús Pascual, "cardiac arrest occurs that can lead to brain death. In addition, this practice has more risk if it continues over time, since little by little it will kill neurons until it ends in death." Furthermore, he states that “we cannot forget the risk of suffering severe trauma due to the blow caused by falling unconscious.”

How can we prevent our child from falling into the traps of gambling?

As pediatrician María Jesús Pascual comments, “the most important thing is to educate and warn the child about the consequences of the game. It is very difficult to know if they plan to play, but the only thing we can do is warn them about the consequences of doing so and, in addition, closely monitor those pages they visit on the Internet, because there we can find some clue.”