[CCHS] Message from Mrs. Bowen

[Art Dulong]

Good morning,
	Attached to this and copied below is a letter from Kathy Bowen, the
Coordinator of Health programs for Concord and Concord-Carlisle.

Arthur Dulong
Principal, CCHS
(978) 341-2490 x7110


Dear Families:

	I hope all of you are taking time to relax and enjoy, what to me, is a
beautiful season of the year. Many of your children will be receiving
gifts of various games that you may be challenged to understand and be
thrilled to watch them learn.

I have been asked to share information about another “game” that your
children and possibly you may have heard about recently in national
publications and on the Oprah show. The “pass-out, choking, knockout,
black hole game” is, as the November 21st Newsweek article states, “is
becoming common around the country. Children/young adults choke themselves
with a rope or belt or have someone else do it, and then loosen the grip
as they begin to lose consciousness-triggering a head rush they regard as
an innocent, drug-free buzz”. This is not a harmless practice and
communities are loosing children who thought it would be fun to try.
Newsweek also states. “There is very little in the medical literature at
this point”. 

I have communicated information re: this “game” to the CCHS and Middle
School Principals and guidance departments. Neither group have heard about
this “game” being played here but asked me to share this information and a
web site that you could access for further information. On the,
stop-the-chocking-game.com site there is an article by Dan Baldwin for
parents as to how to, “Discuss the Dangers of Chocking With Young Adults”.

Keeping our children safe is a challenge. However, if we are proactive and
supportive of each other, with a willingness to share information that
will allow us to communicate with our children, which lets them know we
are aware and concerned about them, will help us accomplish our goal of
keeping them safe.

If you have questions please feel free to call me at 978-341-2490 X 8132.

Sincerely,



Kathy Bowen
K-12 Health Education Coordinator
Concord Public/Concord- Carlisle Schools 





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