The "blackout game" is a deadly pastime that has surfaced in the small Cape Breton town of Baddeck. Children strangle themselves, getting high by losing consciousness.

"They're blocking off the carotid arteries which supply blood to the brain," RCMP Sgt. Mike Bezanson told CTV News. "Of course, when you do that, the brain is starving for oxygen and blood, and it causes the individual to pass out."

Officials in Baddeck became aware of the game when a police officer saw a 14-year-old passed out in a parking lot. The teen was part of a group that had been choking themselves.

The game caused the deaths of several children in the United States this year, including 15-year-old Kimberly Wilson in August. In a dangerous twist, she strangled herself using a bicycle chain lock.

Wilson's mother, Carol Wilson, told CTV News that it's important parents be aware of the game's popularity and speak to their children.

"That's the message we want to get out: That this is a secret with kids, and good kids are playing it," she said.

Kelly McCarthy also lost a child in the same year. Like Kimberly Wilson, his son took the game further than using bare hands.

"He had used a rope under his jaw to try to do this choking game," he said.

Vancouver pediatrician Dr. Mark Kovacs said that the game is far more popular than parents might suspect.

"It is something that parents should talk about to their kids actively, not presuming that they're not doing it," Kovacs said. "It's a subject that needs to be brought up."

In Baddeck, school officials are taking precautions to stop the popularity of the game. They've brought in a doctor and police officer to educate children, and warn them about the game's serious consequences.

The message seems to be getting through. As one student told CTV News, the game is "the most ridiculous thing ever."

With a report from CTV's John Vennavally-Rao