Prevention Consultants of Missouri

Many drinkers of alcohol think it’s safe for someone to “sleep it off” after drinking too much too fast. Or that black coffee or a cold shower will help a person sober up. Those who drink need to know the danger signs of alcohol poisioning. If a person passes out from binge drinking and can’t be roused, it’s time to get help. (Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row for boys and four or more in a row for girls.) Other critical signs of alcohol poisoning include the following:

Mental confusion, stupor, or coma
Vomiting
Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute)
Irregular beating (10 seconds or more between breaths)
Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness.

What happens in alcohol poisoning? Alcohol depresses the nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing, heart beat, and the gag reflex (prevents choking). A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions. After the victim stops drinking, the heart keeps beating, and alcohol in the stomach continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body. If untreated, the following could happen:

Victim chokes on his own vomit.
Breathing slows, becomes irregular, or stops.
Heart beats irregularly or stops.
Victim slips into hypothermia (low body temperature).
Hypoglycemia (too little blood sugar) leads to seizures.
Untreated severe dehydration from vomiting can cause seizures, permanent brain damage, or death.

Even if the victim lives, an alcohol overdose can lead to irreversible brain damage. Rapid binge drinking (which often happens on a bet or a dare) is especially dangerous because the victim can drink a fatal dose of alcohol before passing out. Here’s what to do if you think a person has overdosed on alcohol:

Know the danger signals.
Don’t wait for all symptoms to be present.
Be aware that a person who has passed out may die.
If there is any suspicion of an alcohol overdose, call 911 for help. Don’t try to guess the level of drunkenness.