Myth #3: Sleeping it off

You are out with your friends and one of them drinks a bit much.  You get them home, get them inside, get them to their room and toss them on the bed to sleep it off.  If you are nice you put a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water next to the bed.  


Here is what the problem is:
Alcohol Poisoning!

So what is alcohol poisoning?  According to WebMD: 

"The buzz you get from a relatively small amount of social drinking is actually the body’s first warning sign that you’ve had enough. But if you pound back alcohol, you can quickly overwhelm your body’s ability to absorb it. Taken quickly enough, a surprisingly small quantity of alcohol shuts down the respiratory center of the brain. When this happens, a person stops breathing." 

According to College Drinking: 

What Happens to Your Body When You Get Alcohol Poisoning?

Alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex (which prevents choking). A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions. It is common for someone who drank excessive alcohol to vomit since alcohol is an irritant to the stomach. There is then the danger of choking on vomit, which could cause death by asphyxiation in a person who is not conscious because of intoxication. You should also know that a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) can continue to rise even while he or she is passed out. Even after a person stops drinking, alcohol in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body. It is dangerous to assume the person will be fine by sleeping it off.

So what should you do?  No, drawing a mustache on them with permanent marker is not the answer (although it is fun).  

• If they start to vomit while "passed out" or if their breathing becomes irregular call for help immediately!
• If their breathing is good and they are not vomiting place them on the be ON THEIR SIDE.  The reason for this is it reduces the chance of asphyxiation IF they do vomit.  
• Don't leave a drunk passed out alone.  Stay there and check on them; their breathing and heartbeat are important vitals to check.  Low body temperatures and low blood sugars are a sign of alcohol poisoning and can lead to seizures.

Know your limits.  It's okay to cut loose and have a great time but be careful.  If you do "overdo it" make sure you are with someone who will look after you.  If you party with someone who sometimes over does it...know what you need to do to keep them safe.

Drink to have a good time but be safe.  Like Jimmy's Tavern on Facebook.