What To Do in the Event of An Alcohol Overdose

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About 50,000 cases of alcohol poisoning are reported each year in the United States, and approximately once per week, someone dies from this preventable medical condition.

Understanding the symptoms and causes of an alcohol-related toxic reaction, and responding appropriately and sensibly to such circumstances, can help avoid a fatal overdose. Consequently, when someone asks you what to do in the event of alcohol overdose, the best answer is this: "seek immediate medical assistance by calling 911."

What is the Lethal Dose That Leads to an Alcohol Overdose?

Researchers use the term "lethal dose" (LD) to describe the dose (or "concentration" for alcohol cases) that causes death in half of the population (LD:50).

image: young female angry over alcohol abuse of boyfriend Most alcoholism experts agree that blood alcohol concentrations in the 0.40% to 0.50% range satisfies the LD:50 requirement.

The blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the percentage of alcohol in the blood after the alcohol has been absorbed by the stomach and entered the blood supply.

Based on the above we can arrive at a working definition of alcohol overdose. An alcohol overdose is a dangerous and sometimes deadly result of drinking extreme amounts of alcohol that result in blood alcohol concentrations from 0.40% to .50%.

Binge Drinking And Alcohol Overdose

image: young woman angry at boyfriend's binge drinking It must be emphasized, furthermore, that "binge drinking" (consuming five or more alcoholic drinks at one sitting) can also lead to an alcohol overdose.

It is extremely important to mention at this point that many people seem to think that it is "safe" or "OK" to get "bombed" or "hammered" once or twice per year. This may seem like "moderate" or infrequent drinking, but getting extremely drunk even ONCE can lead to alcohol poisoning!

Factors That Affect Your Blood Alcohol Level

The effects of the alcohol on your body depend on the amount of alcohol in your blood (blood alcohol level). Factors that affect your blood alcohol level include the following:

How fast you ingest the alcoholic beverage
How strong the alcoholic drink is
How much food is in your stomach at the time you drink
How quickly your body metabolizes the alcohol

What Does This Mean in Typical Drinking Situations?

Alcoholism experts define a "standard drink" as 12 ounces of beer, 1.5 ounces of image: young woman suffering from alcohol-related headache 72-proof distilled spirits, or 5 ounces of wine, all of which contain approximately .54 ounces of alcohol. Moreover, the average person metabolizes alcohol at the rate of approximately one drink per hour.

Now that we know what a "standard drink" and how long it takes a person to metabolize an alcoholic drink, we can put the discussion of "lethal dose" into a more understandable framework.

A 100-pound man or woman would have to consume 9 or 10 standard drinks in less than an hour to reach the LD:50
A 200-pound man or woman would have to consume approximately 5 or 6 standard drinks per hour for 4 hours to reach the LD:50.

Even though drinking patterns such as these are not typical in most drinking situations, participating in club "initiations" (such as sorority or fraternity initiations) or in drinking "games" (for instance at certain parties) frequently involves drinking that can, and does, reach the lethal dose. Obviously, excessive drinking can lead not only to impaired judgment but also to serious health problems that can result in death.

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Symptoms of An Alcohol Overdose

The first symptom of an alcohol overdose is usually nausea, followed by vomiting. These symptoms are messages from your body that you consumed more alcohol than your body can metabolize. The following represent other signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning:

Absent reflexes
No response to being shaken or pinched
Confusion
Difficulty awakening the person
Inability to stand
Seizures
Having a rapid pulse rate
Slow, shallow, or irregular breathing
Blue-tinged skin or pale skin
Unconsciousness (passing out)

Researchers have found that various environment factors can interact with one's genetics. Examples include peer pressure or peer influence, the relative ease of obtaining alcohol, where and how a person lives, a person's culture, and one's family and friends.

An Alcohol Overdose Action Plan

image: young man in pain about his alcoholic lifestyle What To Do in the Event of Alcohol Overdose. The most difficult aspect of saving someone from an alcohol overdose, interestingly, does not take place in the hospital Emergency Room. Nor does saving a person from alcohol poisoning involve complicated medical treatment.

The hardest part of an overdose case is making the decision to seek immediate medical help. The fear of embarrassment, public humiliation, possible legal repercussions (for instance, for underage drinkers), or a lack of knowledge about the symptoms and the seriousness of overdosing from alcohol can lead to indecision, which can be fatal.

United States alcoholism statistics show that people who start using alcohol before the age of 15 are 4 times more likely to become alcoholic at some time in their lives, compared to those who start drinking at the legal age of 21.

image: shot glass with cigar symbolizing addiction If you see any of the above symptoms in a person who has been drinking, the following represents some guidelines on what to do:

If someone who has been drinking heavily persists in falling asleep, waken him or her. If the person does not respond easily, it is time to call the police emergency number (911) and ask for assistance.
Roll the person on her side so she will not choke if she vomits
Do not assume that the person will "sleep it off" or would prefer not to be disturbed.
Getting the person home and in bed is not a good solution, and may actually place the drinker at risk due to the fact that he or she is no longer being observed
Be sure to tell the ambulance driver or medical personnel if you believe that other drugs were also ingested

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The basic idea when experiencing a possible alcohol overdose situation is this: Do not take chances when someone's life is at stake. If you suspect that a person has alcohol poisoning or is overdosing on alcohol, get immediate medical assistance, even if the person is underage.

In the United States during 2004, 16,694 deaths occurred as a result of alcohol-related motor-vehicle accidents. This amount was roughly 39% of all traffic fatalities. This amounts to one alcohol-related death every 31 minutes.

It must be pointed out that alcohol can also be dangerous in smaller amounts if it is used in combination with the following drugs:

Narcotic pain medications (such as codine, codine derivatives, opium, heroin, and darvocet)
Sedatives (examples include barbiturates, tranquilizers, and cannabis)
Certain anti-seizure medications (such as phenobarbital)

Since no level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy has been proven safe, the March of Dimes strongly urges pregnant women to refrain from all alcohol, including beer, wine, wine coolers, and hard liquor during their entire pregnancy AND also while nursing.

What To Do in the Event of an Alcohol Overdose: Conclusion

Approximately 50,000 times each year someone in the United States experiences an alcohol overdose. Not only this, but about once every week, someone dies from this preventable medical condition. To make matters even worse, when combined with other drugs, legal or illegal, alcohol accounts for about 33% of all drug overdoses in the United States.

Understanding the symptoms and causes of a toxic reaction, and responding sensibly and appropriately to such situations, can help avoid a fatal overdose. So when someone asks you what to do in the event of alcohol overdose, the best answer is this: seek immediate medical assistance by calling 911.

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Today, substance abuse is the number one debilitating force among Alaska Natives. More specifically, the suicide rate for Alaska Natives is four times more than the national average and almost 80% of all Alaska Native deaths are related to alcoholism or to alcohol abuse.

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Recent research demonstrates that it is important to treat every person who is experiencing alcohol withdrawal. It can be pointed out, however, that approximately 95% of the people who quit drinking alcohol suffer from mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms and can normally be treated on an outpatient basis by a healthcare professional. The remaining 5% of people who experience withdrawal symptoms, however, suffer symptoms so severe that they must be treated in a hospital or in an alcohol rehabilitation facility that specializes in detoxification.

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