Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol Poisoning
Alcohol poisoning a serious - sometimes deadly - result of consuming dangerous amounts of alcohol.  When your body absorbs too much alcohol, it can directly impact your central nervous system, slowing your breathing, heart rate and gag reflex.  This can lead to choking, coma and even death.

Alcohol poisoning most often occurs as a result of drinking too many alcoholic beverages over a short period of time.  Binge drinking is a common cause of alcohol poisoning.

A person with alcohol poisoning needs immediate medical attention and should not be left alone.  If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning:

• Call 911 immediately
• Don't leave the person alone
• Turn the person on their side
• It is always better to be safe than sorry.
• Focus on your friend's health, not keeping out of trouble
• Do not give him/her anything to eat or drink

Signs and Symptoms

• Confusion, stupor
• Vomiting
• Seizures
• Slow or irregular breathing
• Blue-tinged skin or pale skin
• Low body temperature (hypothermia)
• Unconsciousness ("passing out")

It is not necessary for all of these symptoms to be present before seeking medical attention.  A person who has become unconscious or cannot be aroused is at risk of dying.

Blood Alcohol Charts

• Men's BAC reference
• Women's BAC reference

Binge Drinking
Binge drinking used to mean drinking heavily over several days.  Now, however, the term refers to the heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time.

Today the generally accepted definition of binge drinking in the United States is the consumption of five or more drinks in a row by men or four or more drinks in a row by women at least once in the previous 2 weeks.  Heavy binge drinking includes three or more such episodes in 2 weeks.

Many people don't think about the negative side of drinking.  Although they think about the possibility of getting drunk, they may not give much consideration to being hung-over or throwing up.

You may know from experience that excessive drinking can lead to difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, mood changes, and other problems that affect your day-to-day life.  But binge drinking carries more serious and longer lasting risks as well.

Personal Consequences

• Missing class or work due to drinking
• Performing poorly on a test or important project
• Poor athletic performance due to hangover
• Physical effects, including hangovers, nausea or vomiting, and memory loss
• Being sexually harassed or assaulted while drunk, or harassing or assaulting others
• Getting into arguments and fights, or being embarrassed by your own behavior while drunk
• Damaging property
• Getting hurt or injured while or after drinking
• Driving a car under the influence of alcohol or being arrested for DUI
• Generally getting into trouble with the police or University authorities
• Alcohol abuse dependence
• Death

As the number of binge drinking episodes increases, the personal consequences become more frequent and more severe.  Equally important is that students' drinking behavior has a negative impact on their friends, roommates and other students around them, who may lose sleep or class time caring for drunk or ill students, or may bear the brunt of their dangerous, argumentative or violent behavior.

Alcohol and Sex
Alcohol has a negative effect on sexuality as it dulls sensation and makes it more difficult for men to have an erection and women to reach orgasm.  Alcohol impairs judgment slowing down nervous and muscular activity often lending to increased risk taking.  There is a strong relationship between use of drugs and alcohol, and having multiple sex partners.  Alcohol impairment makes it difficult to set sexual limits.  As a result, there is risk of increased unplanned pregnancy, sexual assault and sexually transmitted infections (STI's).

Please visit the Sexual and Reproductive portion of our web site for more information concerning sexual health, practices and STI's.