Alcohol Awareness: Facts and Alcohol Poisoning

Do you know?

When a male and female of the same weight ingest an equal amount of alcohol, the female will have a higher BAC(Blood Alcohol Concentration). This is because females have less water in their bodies so the alcohol will not dissipate as much as it does in a male and they less of the metabolizing enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH).

Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning requires immediate attention. Even if you don't observe the typical signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning, you should seek immediate medical attention if you have any suspicions.

Alcohol poisoning signs and symptoms include:

Confusion
Vomiting
Seizures
Slow breathing (less than eight breaths a minute)
Irregular breathing (a gap of more than 10 seconds between breaths)
Blue-tinged skin or pale skin
Low body temperature (hypothermia)
Passing out (unconsciousness) and can't be awakened

What you should do is:

Dial your local emergency number or 911 right away.
Never rely on someone recovering from alcohol poisoning to sleep.
Be prepared to share details.
If you are aware, be sure to let medical staff or emergency personnel know what kind, how much, and when the patient drank alcohol.
Never leave a person who is unconscious alone.
Someone with alcohol poisoning may choke on their own vomit and become unable to breathe because alcohol poisoning alters how the gag reflex functions. Don't try to make the person throw up while you're waiting for assistance because he or she could choke.
Help someone who is throwing up. Make an effort to keep the person seated. Turn the person's head to the side if they must lie down; this will help them from choking. In order to prevent unconsciousness, make an effort to keep the person awake.

Don't be afraid to call for help!

Fact on Alcohol

Excessive alcohol use is responsible for more than 95,000 deaths in the United States each year, or 261 deaths per day. Watch this YouTube video on the statistic on alcohol.