Reality
How
much can kill?
Helping
an intoxicated person
Reality
One serious concern
about alcohol consumption which sometimes falls through the cracks
when it comes to alcohol education and abuse prevention, is the reality
that heavy alcohol consumption can kill. This is not meant as a scare
tactic however, death due to heavy alcohol consumption is a reality.
It is a tragic reality that hits students and their families and friends
too often, every semester, throughout the country. Just a few of these
tragedies include:
- a student who, in 1996, after attending a couple of parties, had
a BAL of .31 percent and died of alcohol poisoning.
- that same year, another student died of alcohol poisoning after
drinking six beers and twelve shots during a two hour period and developing
a BAL of .34 percent.
- in 1997 a student died of alcohol poisoning after an initiation
activity which included chugging exorbitant amounts of alcohol resulting
in a BAL of .48 percent.
- as part of a twenty first birthday celebration in 1998 a student
died of alcohol poisoning after consuming 24 shots during a three
hour period resulting in a BAL of more than .45 percent. (BRAD21.org)
These are just
a few examples of how dangerous high risk drinking can be. Alcohol
is a depressant drug. When large volumes are consumed in a short period
of time, such as when chugging or participating in drinking games,
it can depress the central nervous system so much that the messages
from the autonomic nervous system that control your basic survival
functions—heartbeat and breathing—slow down, sometimes so
slow we stop breathing and our heart stops beating.
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How much alcohol does
it take to kill someone?
The answer varies with each individual and with different
circumstances. As you can see by the tragedies described previously,
some people can die from a BAL of .31 percent while others can consume
more alcohol before reaching a deadly BAL. We know that a BAL of .25
percent and above puts us at much greater risk for falls, traffic
crashes, asphyxiation from choking while vomiting and other serious
incidents. The risk for death from alcohol poisoning starts around
here too. The higher the BAL the greater the risk for death due to
alcohol poisoning. At .30 percent you may pass out. The BAL which
would cause someone to pass out is dangerously close to a deadly BAL.
At .35 percent you could stop breathing. and at .40 percent you could
fall into a coma, cause possible brain damage and be more likely to
die from alcohol poisoning.
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Helping an intoxicated
person
“The doctors told us that if we waited any longer our friend
could have died.”
Jenn A., Penn State University junior
Here are some tips to consider when dealing with an intoxicated person:
- if the person is vomiting have her/him either sit up or lay on his/her
side in the fetal position to avoid choking.
- if the person has cold, clammy, pale or bluish skin, call medical
personnel immediately.
- passing out is a sign of a potentially serious situation. If you
can’t wake up the person, either call 911, your college emergency
service or get them to the hospital. Do not assume the drinker will
simply sleep it off.
- in cases where there is erratic breathing (less than 8 breaths per
minute or more than 10 seconds between breaths) get to the emergency
room immediately.
- in the meantime, do not give the drinker, coffee, liquids, food,
or a cold shower. Also do not force the person to exercise.
- if in doubt, get assistance immediately. While seeking assistance,
if possible, try to have someone stay with the drinker. This can be
a life and death situation.
One of the primary reasons students do not seek help for their friends
who may be at risk for deadly, acute alcohol poisoning is they are
afraid the drinker will get in trouble with college officials or the
police. Please keep in mind, the minor inconvenience of dealing with
some later campus judicial action is nothing compared to the pain
of the tragedy you may prevent. By reporting your concern about the
intoxication level of your friend or acquaintance to the police, medical
personnel or college officials you could save his/her life.
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