Valley middle schoolers caught playing “pass out” game

It’s a YouTube sensation amongst teens: Videos of the so called “pass out” game, in which you purposely hyperventilate to lose consciousness for a short time.

“Nothing shocks me anymore with the Internet and how easy it is to access information. It’s horrible,” said Laura Quattlebaum, a parent of an 8th grader at John Glenn Middle School.

We received an anonymous tip that multiple students at John Glenn Middle School in Indio had recorded themselves with a cell phone playing the game. That video reached school administrators this week, who confirmed it was happening not on school grounds but at home.

“We found out which kids, got the kids in, called their parents in and told their parents how dangerous this is to their bodies,” said Desert Sands Unified School District Vice Superintendent Sherry Johnstone.

The Desert Sands Unified School District says police discovered about 10 students who participated.

“It’s horrible, and I think parents have a bigger responsibility to ensure they know what’s going on in their homes and going on with their kids,” said Quattlebaum.

This comes after David Nuno, 15, from the San Diego area reportedly died playing the “pass out” game in September. The teen and some friends were watching a “how to” video, but police say the teen fell onto a glass tumbler, killing him when the glass shattered.

“How do you lose a child to something so senseless? That’s why I’m proud of our schools and families who called and said, ‘I heard this and will you help us?'” Johnstone said.

DSUSD says it’s a team effort to help put a stop to the deadly practice during school hours and beyond.

“Safety is safety. They’re our children whether in our homes or at our schools,” said Johnstone.

“I don’t want to be the parent who says, ‘I wish that didn’t happen to me,'” said Quattlebaum.

Since the John Glenn Middle School students played the game at home, they were not suspended from school. DSUSD warns parents need to be aware and communicate how dangerous the so-called “game” can be.