How to care for someone who has had too much to drink
I recently received a brochure entitled "How to Care For Someone Who Has Had Too Much To Drink"
It was mainly intended for the college crowd. I'm not a doctor, but I figured someone might stumble on to my site looking for an answer to this question. Therefore, here is the text of the brochure:
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While most college students understand the importance of drinking responsibly, situations can arise where people become very drunk. Providing care for a person who is drunk is important; failure to act could result in a life or death situation. By following the steps outlined here, you will be better prepared to handle an alcohol-related emergency:
Adapted from Tri-State University's "Taking Care of an Intoxicated Person," Trinity University's "Caring for an Intoxicated Friend," and "Reducing High-Risk Drinking" from Ohio University.
It was mainly intended for the college crowd. I'm not a doctor, but I figured someone might stumble on to my site looking for an answer to this question. Therefore, here is the text of the brochure:
--
While most college students understand the importance of drinking responsibly, situations can arise where people become very drunk. Providing care for a person who is drunk is important; failure to act could result in a life or death situation. By following the steps outlined here, you will be better prepared to handle an alcohol-related emergency:
- Stay calm so the person will remain calm. Don't communicate anxiety.
- Assess the situation. If the person exhibits any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately
- Is he/she breathing fewer than 8 times per minute?
- Do More than 10 seconds pas between breaths?
- Can you get a reaction by calling his/her name or pinching him/her?
- Is his/her skin cold, clammy or pale blue in color?
- Get help if the person becomes violent, or if you believe the alcohol has been combined with other drugs
- Keep your distance. Before approaching or touching, explain what you intend to do in a calm, reassuring manner.
- Keep the person comfortable.
- Prevent him/her from driving or biking.
- Stay with the drunk person. Don't leave him/her alone to sleep it off. If the person cannot be wakened periodically, seek immediate medical attention.
- Providing food, aspirin or caffeine may increase the risk of vomiting. Providing liquid stimulants will only result in a wide-awake, agitated drunk person.
- Don't put the person in a cold shower. The shock may cause the person to pass out, resulting in injury.
- Don't force the person to exercise to burn of the alcohol, this could also cause injuries.
- Know that time is the only thing that will sober the person up.
- Utilize the support of others; enlist involvement of friends. Get a sober friend if you are intoxicated.
Adapted from Tri-State University's "Taking Care of an Intoxicated Person," Trinity University's "Caring for an Intoxicated Friend," and "Reducing High-Risk Drinking" from Ohio University.
There is a bigger issue here. We deny our young adults the ability to learn appropriate alcohol consumption. Making 21 the drinking age is largely to blame. It encourages binge drinking.
Abstinence only alcohol laws are a failure. Instead of children drinking with their parents or adult peers we have groups of under 21 year olds binging together. I couldn't invent a worse system to teach responsible alcohol use.