You need to understand the risks you’re running. The greatest risk of death or injury isn’t suffocation, it’s anoxia caused by cutting off the blood flow to the brain. The jugular vein and carotid artery lie just below the skin on either side of the neck. Pressure on those poses the greatest danger, followed by a possible fracture of the Hyoid bone, or crushed trachea. Actual strangulation takes much longer, and if you succeed in strangling someone to death, you went WAY over the line . . . Stopping that blood flow to the brain will result in unconsciousness in a matter of seconds, with brain injury and death in a very few more seconds. Ever watch someone get knocked out by a chokehold? Did you see how little time it took? People are killed by those holds with great regularity, and those holds are generally only maintained until the subject stops struggling. Also, be aware that since the jugular and carotid lie so close to the skin, they can be ruptured or torn by either a drop or struggling against the noose. If any of those blood vessels are torn or traumatized, the victim will bleed out internally in a matter of seconds, and there’s NOTHING you can do to save them. Death is immediate. Proper placement of the noose is critical; those blood vessels MUST be avoided, or serious unpleasantness will ensue. Do NOT be under the influence of ANYTHING when you play. When you’re playing with a human life, drink or drugs is RIGHT OUT!! Killing someone because you were messed up is not an excuse, it’s a reason to give you a longer prison sentence. And prosecutors are not known for their sweet and understanding natures, no matter how good your lawyer is. Make damned sure you know what you’re doing before you start doing anything risky. And that goes for both you and your partner. Just making it up as you go will almost certainly result in disaster. You both need to know what you’re going to do, how you’re going to do it, and what you’re going to do if something goes wrong. You need safe words, and since your partner will probably be incapable of speech, you need MORE than a safe word. Any kind of active signal is not a good idea, as a person losing consciousness generally can’t give them. You can’t snap your fingers three times if you’re passed out. Use a squeak toy. The kind that you can squeeze and will make a noise, and even more importantly, make a noise when dropped on the floor. If your partner is passing out, you need to know it IMMEDIATELY. Seconds count. Seriously, the difference between a groggy wakeup and a never wakeup is frighteningly short. Your safe signal should be something triggered passively. Dropping something works well. Check your equipment ahead of time. If you’re going to hang someone, make sure that your hoist point will bear the weight. Make sure that