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DRINKING
The Danger Zone
BY DIXIE M.
JORDAN
Copyright 1998 by Parents' Press
Photo © 1998 by Jenny Jordan
If you drink - or your friends do - here are things you need to know about alcohol poisoning.
So, what is alcohol poisoning?
It's not just having a hangover or drinking so much that you vomit. Alcohol poisoning happens when the blood alcohol level (the percentage of alcohol circulating in the bloodstream) rises to a danger point. At very high blood alcohol levels, a person loses consciousness and goes into a coma. In the worst cases, the drinker dies.
When you hear about someone dying from "alcohol poisoning," it usually means the person died in one of these three ways:
The blood
alcohol level was so high that it affected parts of the brain
and nervous system that control breathing, heartbeat, and related
body functions. The drinker died because he stopped breathing
and his heart stopped beating, usually while unconscious.
He vomited
while unconscious, inhaled the vomitus, and suffocated. There
are also occasional reports of an unconscious drinker choking
on his own tongue.
The alcohol
reacted in combination with some other drug - over the counter,
prescription, or illegal. These deaths can happen at a relatively
low blood alcohol level.
An intoxicated person can also die of exposure, sometimes in temperatures as high as 50 degrees F. Alcohol affects both the body's "thermostat" and the drinker's perception of heat and cold; someone who's been drinking can feel warm while his body temperature is actually dropping.
My friend drank a lot at a party and she's pretty drunk. She just wants to sleep it off. Is that okay?
Only if you are willing to stay with her, stay awake all night, and check on her continuously. When someone drinks a lot, or drinks rapidly, there can be a lag time before medical complications show up. Sleeping it off can progress into coma, and even death.
College health services advise taking these precautions:
Make sure
your friend doesn't have any cuts, scrapes or other injuries
that need treatment.
Turn her
on her side in bed, and prop her up so that she cannot roll onto
her back. This lessens the chances of choking if she vomits.
Keep her warm. Give her water if she can drink it.
Stay with
her and check regularly for signs of alcohol poisoning.
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