We have movies about it, we have public awareness and we tell our teens, but alcohol poisonings still happen all over. So what causes it? What are the effects of alcohol poisoning? Say you are at a party and a friend starts vomiting because he or she has been drinking. Everyone laughs thinking this person is so going to have a hangover in the morning. But the truth is that this could be a sign of alcohol poisoning and can lead the person to asphyxiate by choking or stop breathing. While it might seem a good idea that the person immediately passed out, CHECK. Keep checking. The person could be inadvertently having a medical crisis and may never wake up.
The person’s breathing is a strong clue. You know your friend; if his or her breathing seems different, get a clue. This is a strong indicator that the person has alcohol poisoning. While excessive vomiting and seizures are definite clues, you still need to pay attention to the smaller ones and pay attention to the breathing your friend is doing. If it sounds irregular, do not take a chance. A bit of embarrassment at the ER is nothing compared to the trauma if your friend dies from alcohol poisoning because no one sought help at all. You can live with the fact that you might have over-reacted, we all have done that in some situation or another. But you will never regret making a call that saves a friend’s life because he did, indeed, have alcohol poisoning.
The effects of alcohol poisoning can be anything from excessive vomiting to seizures to permanent brain damage even if the person does not die. If someone is drinking excessively and complains about being cold, seek help. Hypothermia is another effect of alcohol poisoning.
A lot of times people engage in rapid or binge drinking and while many think this is a game, the effects of alcohol poisonings run rampant through such behavior. Games such as Beer Pong are popular all over with teens and college students as well as guys watching the game at sports bars. How do we teach the younger ones about the effects of alcohol poisonings when mature adults fall victim to it all the time as well? Learning the effects of alcohol poisoning and how to deal with a friend who has fallen victim to it is something that should be taught right along with sex education and drug abuse signs. The key? Never feel bad about getting help for your friend if you suspect alcohol poisoning. A true friend thinks get help first and not embarrassment.
Nick Hayes is a graduate of the Narconon drug rehab program in 2005. Nick takes much enjoyment in writing, and feels there needs to be more information about drugs and alcohol provided to the people of the world. He believes nobody should have to go through an addiction.