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Alcohol Poisoning
What is it?
How can you tell?
The Recovery Roll or Bacchus Manoeuvre
Alcohol and Your Health: A Checklist
"Think Before You Drink" Quiz

What is it?
  • It happens wheen someone drinks a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time through:
    • - Binge drinking (having more than 5 drinks during a drinking episode)
    - Drinking games
    - Funneling
    - Chugging
  • If someone drinks too much too fast, the amount of alcohol in a person's blood - called Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) - rises to a high level really quickly
  • A BAC of 200-300mg% would likely causae alcohol poisoning
  • Alcohol poisoning can cause brain damage or death
  • Someone who blacks out, passes out, or throws up is on her or his way to alcohol poisoning
What the heck does that all mean?

Here's an example:

If a 110-pound female had 6 drinks in 4 hours, she would have a BAC of 225 mg%. She would be putting herself in danger of getting alcohol poisoning.
What about the "one drink an hour" rule?

This is misleading. Science has shown that the old "one drink an hour" rule is NOT TRUE for all people.
For example: If that same 110-pound female drank 7 drinks in 7 hours, she would still be at real risk for alcohol poisoning - she would have a BAC of 225 mg%.
If she was driving she would be more than 4 times the legal limit of alcohol for driving!

Information about Blood Alcohol Concentration taken from: Sinclair, Kirk (1999). Know when to draw the line: A guide to lower risk drinking.

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How Can You Tell?
Signs that someone has alcohol poisoning include:
  • Passing out, semi-conscious
  • Cold, pale, or bluish skin
  • Vomiting while sleeping
  • Slow or irregular breathing
  • Seizures
If you see someone with these symptoms...
Never leave the person alone.
Never put her or him to bed to "sleep it off".
Get medical help.

It always better to be safe than sorry.

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Know the Recovery Roll or "Bacchus Manoeuvre"
Perform this on a person suffering from alcohol poisoning - it could safe her or his life!

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Alcohol and Your Health Checklist
What if you drink?
If you have more than 2 drinks* a day you increase your chances of injury and other problems.

NEVER drink and drive.
Limit your drinking to 2* drinks or less a day.

For men:      14 drinks or less in a week.
For women:  9 drinks or less in a week.
Drink slowly and wait at least 1 hour between drinks.
Take alcohol with food and non-alcoholic beverages.

*Standard Drinks
12 oz. regular-strength beer (5% alcohol)
1.5 oz. spirits eg. gin, rum, rye, vodka (40% alcohol)
5 oz. wine (12% alcohol) 

It's your health. It's your choice.

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"Think Before You Drink" Quiz

Are YOU at risk?
Are you putting others at risk?

Answer these questions to find out for yourself!
 
Yes
No
1.   Do I drink alcohol under the legal drinking age (19 years old in Ontario)?
2.   Do I drink alcohol and drive a vehicle or watercraft?
3.   Do I ride in a vehicle or watercraft with a driver who has been drinking?
4.   Do I drink before or during sports or other physical activities?
5.   Do I drink when I feel depressed, lonely, or stressed?
6.   Have I been at work or school under the influence of alcohol?
7.   Do I drink alcohol when I'm taking prescription or non-prescription drugs?
8.   Have I been in a fight or argument during or after drinking alcohol?
9.   Have I had unplanned or unprotected sexual intercourse during or after drinking?
10. Has anyone ever told me that I drink too much alcohol?

How Did You Do?
  • If you answered "NO" to all of these questions, congratulations! You are successfully minimizing your risk from drinking. Keep it up!
  • If you answered "YES" to any of these questions, your drinking may be putting your or others at risk of injuries or other problems. The more times you answered "YES", the higher your risk. Talk to someone about your drinking.
  • Phone Addiction Services of Thames Valley 519-673-3242 ext.222 for confidential information about alcohol and where you can get help in your community.

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Where to now?
Go to last Drugs & Alcohol topic - Mixing It Up
Return to Drugs & Alcohol