Know the Symptoms of Acute Alcohol Intoxication
According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), hundreds of people die annually from acute alcohol intoxication, more commonly known as alcohol poisoning or alcohol overdose. Acute alcohol intoxication is caused by drinking too much alcohol too fast, and occurs frequently on college campuses or wherever heavy drinking takes place.
Because alcohol is a depressant drug, it slows down some of the body’s functions once ingested, including heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. When the body’s vital centers become depressed by too much alcohol, unconsciousness occurs, and the amount of alcohol required to produce unconsciousness is dangerously close to a fatal dose. As a result, people who survive alcohol poisoning sometimes suffer irreversible brain damage.
Some of the key signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:
- Unconsciousness or semi-consciousness
- Slow breaths of eight or less per minute, or lapses between respirations of more than eight seconds
- Cold, clammy, pale, or bluish skin
- A strong odor of alcohol
If you encounter a person with one or more of these signs, call 911 immediately. While waiting for emergency help to arrive, gently turn the intoxicated person on their side, maintaining that position by placing a pillow in the small of the person’s back. This prevents aspiration (choking) should the person vomit. Stay with the person until medical help arrives.
Many people are surprised to learn that death can occur from acute intoxication. Most think the worst that can happen is they’ll pass out and have a hangover the next day, but alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency. To learn more, visit www.ncadd.org.
