It’s Friday night and you and a friend are at a party where alcohol is served. You both step up to the beer pong table and are losing badly. Your friend takes it upon himself to drink six cups of beer at the table, and then gobble four Jello shots within fifteen minutes. This is all after the four shots of whisky he had earlier at the party. You know this because “he was counting,” but you lost track a long time ago. After puking in the kitchen sink, your friend stumbles over to the couch and passes out. “At least he’s not singing karaoke anymore,” you think, and decide to let him “sleep it off.” You’ll wake him in the morning and nurse your hangovers together at the diner. Or will you? According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “in 2000, there were approximately 85,000 deaths attributable to either excessive or risky drinking in the U.S, making alcohol the third leading actual cause of death.” It is simply not enough to just take the car keys away from a friend who’s had “one too many.” If your friend has obviously drank too much alcohol, you can prevent a death from alcohol poisoning by calling 911 or WCU Public Safety(X3311).It’s Friday night and you and a friend are at a party where alcohol is served. You both step up to the beer pong table and are losing badly. Your friend takes it upon himself to drink six cups of beer at the table, and then gobble four Jello shots within fifteen minutes. This is all after the four shots of whisky he had earlier at the party. You know this because “he was counting,” but you lost track a long time ago. After puking in the kitchen sink, your friend stumbles over to the couch and passes out. “At least he’s not singing karaoke anymore,” you think, and decide to let him “sleep it off.” You’ll wake him in the morning and nurse your hangovers together at the diner. Or will you? According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “in 2000, there were approximately 85,000 deaths attributable to either excessive or risky drinking in the U.S, making alcohol the third leading actual cause of death.” It is simply not enough to just take the car keys away from a friend who’s had “one too many.” If your friend has obviously drank too much alcohol, you can prevent a death from alcohol poisoning by calling 911 or WCU Public Safety(X3311).
Many students faced with the scenario detailed above choose to let a friend “sleep it off.” However, if your friend experiences shallow breathing, vomiting, cold or bluish skin, an inability to be awakened or seizures after drinking, you must call for professional help. Remember, a person in this condition can also choke on vomit while passed out. Roll the person on his/her side until help arrives.
The “Do-It-Yourself” guide to sobriety under these circumstances is simple: only time can reverse drunkenness. It takes approximately one hour per drink to leave the body’s system. But for someone who’s drank excessively, he or she can remain dangerously toxic for several hours, despite being passed out. Your friend may need to have his or her stomach pumped. Remember, black coffee and cold showers cannot make a person sober!
You can avoid the unpleasantness of having your stomach pumped or sitting in the emergency waiting room by using good judgment towards alcohol. Avoid drinking games, eat before and during alcohol consumption, pace drinks while alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic beverages, and know the warning signs of alcohol poisoning so you can get help when needed.