Imagine you are at a party. Maybe you are a teenager, maybe a mature adult. You see that someone has been imbibing a bit too much alcohol and gets sick. The person begins throwing up and passes out. How strong is the urge to just let the person sleep it off? How strong is the urge to seek medical attention?
That is right, medical attention. Alcohol poisoning is a problem, especially with teenage drinking as most teenagers do not understand the severity of excessive drinking. Still, instincts can kick in. If you have a feeling something is not quite right, follow through with that feeling.
Worrying about being laughed at is the least of your problems, as well as worrying if you’re friend will be angry with you for the trouble they get in. If your friend is mad at you, then at least they are still alive. So how do you know when to make that medical request call? Here are some symptoms of alcohol poisoning.
Vomiting, seizures, confusion, breathing irregular, hypothermia and passing out. Vomiting does happen on occasion but excessive vomiting and then immediately passing out is cause for concern. Check the person’s breathing. How many breaths are there? That’s right. Count them. If your friend has less than eight breaths per minute, you need to dial 911 immediately.
You can live with getting grounded, getting a ticket, getting in trouble with your parents and your friends being mad at you. But none of you will be able to forget or live with the fact that a friend died while you were all partying simply because you thought he passed out from getting drunk. Teenagers die from alcohol poisoning, because they do not realize the severity of drinking too much, they do not understand that drinking to excess can lead to getting sick, or even kill them.
Partying with friends is fun but there is a heavy price to pay if someone over indulges. Realistically understand that alcohol poisoning does occur and make sure that if you are indulging, you are doing so with some common sense.
Learn about the symptoms of alcohol poisoning. Most importantly, understand that only one or two of them need to occur for alcohol poisoning to set in. If your friend falls victim to ANY of these symptoms, seek help immediately. He or she may get mad for a little while, but in the end, you will be thanked for having the courage to do the right thing.
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.