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Grieving Mother Warns Parents

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By NEIL JOHNSON and VALERIE KALFRIN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 26, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Even children with good grades, who avoid drugs and trouble can fall victim to the deadly game that killed 11-year-old Deneathia Service, her mother said.

The girl hanged herself June 15, apparently playing what some youngsters call the choking game. The game involves cutting off their air supply for the euphoria they get when blood returns to their brain.

The girl's mother, Deneathia Smith, said Wednesday that parents must be aware the game can kill their children.

Smith spoke publicly to alert parents of the dangers of the game. Parents must talk to their children, she said.

"If I had it to do over again, I would have," Smith said, addressing reporters at the office of her attorney, state Rep. Darryl Rouson.

"I think this will be an eye-opener for parents," she said.

The girl was found by her siblings hanging in a closet in her family home at 2700 22nd Ave. S., according to St. Petersburg police. Her 12-year-old brother used a steak knife to cut the white belt the girl had tied to a shelf.

Just hours earlier, the girl was among the students in her church recognized for making the honor roll. She would have entered the sixth grade in the fall.

Her daughter was adventurous but not a risk taker, Smith said.

"Children don't see the seriousness of this," she said.

She had no idea how her daughter learned of the practice that has been around for generations.

"I monitor what comes into our home. I pick out the videos," she said. "Where she got it, I don't know."

It could have been the Internet or other students at school, Smith said.

The Rev. Troy Jones, pastor of the Church of God of St. Petersburg, the family's church, said he found two postings on the popular YouTube where teens gave instructions how to choke themselves or others. Jones attended Smith's meeting with reporters.

Jones said he plans to talk about the dangers of the choking game with other pastors, parents and children.

"Some children see this as a safe high," he said.

In a 24-page police report, Detective Sara Verel noted that there was no indication Deneathia was suicidal. Verel also noted that Deneathia had "faked death" in the past.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the activity also goes by the names "choking game," "pass out," "dream game," "blackout," "flat-liner," "space monkey," "scarf game," "fainting game" and "California choke." Children either choke each other or choke themselves to get high.

While researching the activity, Verel found that children experience two highs. The first is the lightheadedness caused by a reduced blood flow and reduced oxygen. The second is that the release of pressure on the neck causes a powerful surge of blood through the carotid arteries into the brain, Verel wrote in her report.

This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using media reports, identified 82 probable choking game deaths nationwide among youths 6 to 19 years old, from 1995 through 2007.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at njohnson@tampatrib

.com or (813) 259-7731.

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