Don't let a friend get wastedEvery year in the US alone, a number
of drunk students die as a result of alcohol poisoning because
people assume that passing out, vomiting, and being really drunk
will be slept off, resulting in a simple hangover next morning.[1]
Unfortunately, thinking this could endanger an inebriated person's
life.
When someone at a party near you gets so drunk that they can't take
care of themselves, they're at risk of harming themselves, and if
they've drunk too much altogether, they may even have alcohol
poisoning and need _immediate_ attention. Being able to spot alcohol
poisoning in a drunk person could mean that you save his or her life;
knowing what to do to take care of a drunk person is therefore an
essential skill for all party-lovers.
!! Steps !!
_ Recognize someone who has had one too many.
Signs that a person has drunk too much include slurred speech,
inability to remain standing or sitting up straight, a marked desire
to lie down or loll over, questionable walking technique, stumbling,
unusual, loud, or embarrassing behavior, violent reactions, bloodshot
eyes, feeling extreme temperature differences, etc.[2]
* The amount of care your drunk friend or acquaintance will need
will depend on how much he or she has had to drink, the type of
drink they've been imbibing, whether or not they've been mixing
illicit, over-the-counter or prescription drugs with the alcohol,
where you're located, etc.[3] Every situation will need to be
judged from the context but the main point is to be prepared to
care for them until they're out of danger.
Step in to discourage further drinking. Try distracting the
intoxicated person from having any more alcohol. Get them away from
the alcohol – take them to the front yard for a breath of fresh
air, suggest that it's time to call it a night and phone a taxi, or
simply sit with them away from the drinking area and talk. Find
somewhere quiet_ and not too bright.
* If they want drinks, take responsibility for delivering drinks
that won't harm them. Try water, or try very watered down versions
of their drink. Often you can get away with giving someone who is
very drunk soft drinks; simply hand them a coke and claim that it
contains vodka. Chances are they won't even notice, especially if
you're distracting them in other ways such as talking or watching
TV together.
* Avoid saying anything that could provoke or anger the intoxicated
person. Remain calm and reassuring at all times.
* Read How to keep your friend from driving drunk for information on
stopping a determined drunk from driving.
* Lack of coordination will make walking very difficult, so don't
suggest this as a way of "sobering up".
* If the intoxicated person needs to visit the bathroom, accompany
them and wait in the bathroom. It's all too easy for an
uncoordinated drunk person to slip and bang a head and get knocked
out on the hard surfaces in bathrooms.
Keep an eye out for dangerous actsDo your best to help the
intoxicated person to avoid physical injury, especially through
falling. Help the person to a safe seat or to the floor. If the
intoxicated person begins to heave, try to help them to an
appropriate place to vomit.
* If a person is lying down when they begin to heave or vomit, place
them in the recovery position (on their side with the higher knee
bent). This is to prevent choking. Put something behind their back
to prevent them rolling back onto their back or stomach; vomiting
in either position can cause them to choke or drown.[4]
Do not leave someone who is very drunk to fall asleep alone. Stay in
the room with them - watch a film or TV, read a book, or clean up
after the party but keep them in the room with you. If you take them
home ensure a responsible person will do the same.
* If you can't be with them, or you can't be sure someone else will
keep an eye out for them, get on the phone to someone you know who
will care enough to do this, such as a parent, guardian, sibling,
or friend. Explain that it is urgent and that you have seen how
wasted they are. At the very least, keep watch over the drunk
person until the changeover of responsibility.
* Check regularly to ensure the intoxicated
person responds to being stirred. Say their name loudly, ask them
firmly to open their eyes, prod them and look for a response.
Watch the chest or abdomen for breathing movements. A rate of 12-
20 breaths per minute is normal.
Look for signs of alcohol poisoning. If breathing becomes slow (8
breaths per minute or less or irregular with 10 seconds or more
between each breath), and they are unresponsive to being prodded and
pinched firmly, this suggests alcohol poisoning. Other possible
signs include:[5]
* Passed out or stuporous – unconscious or semi-conscious, cannot
be awakened
* Blue lips and fingertips
* Dehydrated
* Rapid pulse
* Vomiting while asleep and not waking up even when vomiting
* Cold clammy hands/ feet.
If you spot these signs, call 911/112/110 (emergency services), or
your area's emergency number immediately. If you're on campus, call
the campus security or university police. Explain the situation
clearly.
* You will not get into trouble for calling for help. Authorities
prefer to keep people alive than to scold for irresponsible
behavior. Drinking age laws and campus policies are in place to
stop life being endangered, not to cause people to abandon one
another during a medical emergency. Treat this like it is – a
medical emergency, not an offense.
Stay with the intoxicated person until help
arrives. Keep them warm and continue to monitor
breathing. If a qualified first aider is
available, call on them for help whilst waiting
for the ambulance.
* Don't panic. Stay calm. Although you're likely to be upset and
afraid, it won't help the patient if you transfer this fear and
anxiety to them. Reassure them, and in doing so, reassure
yourself.
* If the person is awake or conscious, do not touch or prod them
without explaining what you're about to do; they may react
violently.
* Don't give them stimulating drinks such as tea or coffee. These
can cause further dehydration; keep in mind that drinks don't
change the state of drunkenness, only passing time will only sober
up the drunk person.
* If someone else is present, send them to direct the ambulance
paramedics to your position.
!! Tips !!
* Do not jeopardize your own health when looking after the person.
Do not try to physically lift a drunken person or stop someone
much larger than you falling down–you may injure your back.
Instead, concentrate on protecting their head.
* If someone gets into a drunken state having taken in seemingly
little alcohol, they may be lightweight but be wary of drinks
being spiked or an interaction with over-the-counter, prescribed,
or illicit drugs as well. If you suspect this, get the person home
and report it to health authorities, or take them straight to the
emergency department.
* Telling the person the danger they put themselves in may stop them
from over-indulging again. Wait until their sober and have a
heart-to-heart with them about their behavior. You can make it
less confronting by saying something like: "I didn't much like the
friends you brought along the other night Susie." Susie will
reply: "What friends?" And you can reply: "Making fun of friends
Susie. And I'm bored Susie. And undressing Susie. And rolling on
the ground Susie." It may seem odd but making the drunk person's
behavior sound like a third person can help them better identify
with the types of behaviors other people witnessed.
* If the person you suspect to be suffering from alcohol poisoning
is underage *do not* put off calling the emergency services for
fear of getting them in trouble. The younger a person is, the more
susceptible to alcohol they are, and the longer you leave them,
the worse they could get.
!! Warnings !!
* Remain calm if the person's symptoms begin to concern you. Don't
panic but do call the ambulance. It is far better to be safe than
sorry, and to let people who are trained make the decisions.
* If they are asleep, make sure they are on their side, with their
face facing the same way as their body is, *not* on the stomach or
back, for either way they could drown in their vomit. If they
vomit, they can aspirate it, and die (as happened to John Bonham
of Led Zeppelin, Bon Scott of AC/DC, Eric "Stumpy Joe" Childs
of Spinal Tap, and others).
* Don't be the person who needs this kind of help. Don't assume
people around you will know what to do to help you.
* Don't induce vomiting in a person who is drunk.
* Don't force food down a drunk person; it could create a choking
situation and food cannot sober them up.
* Don't put a drunk person into a cold shower. It won't sober them
and it could induce shock.
* *Never allow someone who is drunk behind the wheel of a car,
ever*. It's not only their life but the lives of others too that
are at stake.
!! Things You\'ll Need !!
* Quiet space for recovery
* Water
* Cell phone
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Host a Successful Party
* How to Improve Your Alcohol Tolerance
* How to Deal With Drinking Too Much
* How to Pretend to Drink Alcohol
* How to Escape from a Drunken Date
!! Sources And Citations !!
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
*
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