By Lookout Staff

April 30, 2010 --A Lincoln Middle School sixth-grader died at midnight on April 22 after he was found one day earlier lying unconscious in his home due to what Santa Monica Police officials say was involvement in a dangerous act known as the “choking game.”

Erik Robinson, 12, was taken to a hospital, where he was declared brain-dead. He was taken off life support the next night.

The choking game, which goes by several other names, involves children self-strangling, or individuals strangling each, other through various means to get a high without the use of alcohol or drugs. Sgt. Jay Trisler of the SMPD said this is the first known death due to the choking game in Santa Monica, but he said it is a national problem.

“If you go onto YouTube, there are videos galore on this,” Trisler said.

He said the SMPD is making itself available as a resource for outreach to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD).

Marolyn Freedman, the SMMUSD’s director of student services, said the District is taking a variety of measures to deal with the death. The week of the incident, the school principal went into each sixth-grade class to speak with the students. Meetings took place with teachers. And counselors, who are trained to help children through situations like this, came to the campus. “Comfort rooms” were provided for children who were upset and individual counseling was provided.

There are many organizations dedicated to informing the public about the choking game. Erik’s family has asked donations in his memory be dedicated to one of them, GASP, which stands for Games Adolescents Shouldn’t Play.

According to GASP’s web site, “The choking game is a misunderstood activity causing death and suffering for thousands of families worldwide. It often begins with high-achieving teens choking each other as a way to get high without the risk of getting caught with drugs or alcohol. It ends with thousands of kids dying or suffering permanent brain damage each year.”

For more information, go to www.gaspinfo.com.