Choking game cases rise among students

TREND SPURS DHA AND KHDA TO LAUNCH URGENT PREVENTION AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AMONG PARENTS

- BY SAJILA SASEENDRAN

The choking challenge involves children intentionally restricting oxygen and blood flow to the brain to induce dizziness or euphoria. Picture for illustrative purposes only.

There has been an increase in choking game incidents among Dubai students, prompting an urgent prevention campaign that includes awareness sessions for parents and activities in schools.

More than 1,000 parents in Dubai were informed of this on Thursday evening during a virtual parental awareness session that is described by parents as a first-of-its-kind.

Organised by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) in partnership with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) the session revealed concerning details about the dangerous trend.

This followed a recent warning issued to Dubai schools about such risky games trending on social media including the viral Skull Breaker challenge that has recently reemerged.

During the session, parents, who asked if there are any cases of the choking game reported in the UAE, were told that "there have been more cases," triggering immediate action including the session, which will be followed by another one in Arabic next Thursday.