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Intoxication

Helping people make informed choices about alcohol.

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about alcohol - Intoxication

Intoxication

Someone with alcohol poisoning needs urgent medical attention

summary

  • Alcohol poisoning can be fatal

  • Call for help and don't try to sober them up or let them sleep it off

  • If someone's suffering from alcohol poisoning, they need urgent medical attention

about alcohol - intoxication

Alcohol poisoning is the result of drinking dangerous amounts of alcohol. It can be deadly; those who survive can be left with irreversible brain damage.

When someone consumes excessive amounts of alcohol, their breathing slows and the brain is deprived of oxygen. The struggle to deal with an overdose of alcohol and lack of oxygen will eventually cause the brain to shut down the body functions that regulate breathing and heart rate. When that happens, the drinker can die.

Rapid, excessive drinking is especially dangerous because people can consume a fatal amount of alcohol before they lose consciousness. It's best to always drink in moderation and to avoid taking part in drinking games that involve drinking excessive amounts or drinking rapidly.

Underage and inexperienced drinkers are particularly vulnerable to alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning is most commonly associated with drinking excessive amounts of alcohol in a short period of time.

Warning signs

Signs that someone might have alcohol poisoning include:

  • Mental confusion

  • Slow or irregular breathing (with gaps between breaths of more than eight seconds)

  • Difficult to awaken

  • Blue-tinged skin, pale skin and/or cold clammy skin

  • Stupor, unconsciousness, coma

  • Low body temperature

  • Vomiting

  • A strong smell of alcohol

  • Seizures

about alcohol - intoxication

People can be suffering from alcohol poisoning without having all these signs and symptoms. If you suspect that someone has alcohol poisoning, get emergency medical help immediately.

People should never be left to 'sleep it off' – this could be a fatal mistake. A person's Blood Alcohol Concentration – the concentration of alcohol in the blood – may continue to rise even after they have passed out.

If alcohol poisoning goes untreated, the following can happen:

  • The victim can choke on his or her own vomit

  • Blood sugar can decrease (i.e. hypoglycaemia) which can cause seizures

  • Breathing slows, becomes irregular and can stop

  • Permanent brain damage

  • The heart beats irregularly and can stop

  • Death

  • Body temperature decreases (i.e. hypothermia)

about alcohol - intoxication

Take action

A person with alcohol poisoning needs urgent medical attention. Here's what you should do:

  • Don’t panic

  • Keep them warm

  • Get medical help immediately – call the emergency services

  • Stay with them until medical help arrives

  • Turn them on their side (to prevent them inhaling or choking on vomit)

  • Don't try and sober the person up with black coffee or cold showers – these things don’t work – and don't leave them to 'sleep it off'. They may never wake up.

about alcohol - intoxication

Download our factsheets

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