2 NJ students pass out after trying dangerous 'blackout challenge'
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Two students passed out after engaging in a dangerous and potentially fatal activity known as the "blackout challenge," according to officials at South Orange Middle School in New Jersey.
The scheme requires holding one’s breath to the point of passing out: a trend that has grabbed hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok.
Experts have raised concerns for years about some of the platform’s most egregious acts, including "blackout."
In a statement to parents, South Orange officials said one student completely passed out and another had difficulty resuming breathing after passing out and was hospitalized.
"These incidents were very scary and very avoidable," Principal Lynn Irby Hill wrote.
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Hill said the school would continue to warn students about the dangers of "blackout" and most, if not all, challenges promoted on social media.
"I ask for your help by discussing these dangers with your children at home," Hill warned parents.
What is the ‘Blackout challenge’?
Versions of this challenge have been around for years, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributing 82 deaths to the choking game from 1995 to 2008.
Also known as the "choking challenge" or the "pass-out challenge," this fad encouraged kids in asphyxiation to the point of temporary unconsciousness.
The blackout challenge has been linked to the deaths of about 20 minors in recent months.