Show Alcohol can be Poisonous The Human SIdeBy Side SideBy SideBy By Diane Cashel Cashel Director Drug Alcohol Education s The new danger that is capturing the attention of campus health educators educators educators edu edu- nationwide is not really new of course Alcohol poisoning a severe li life fe threatening physical reaction to an overdose of alcohol is getting more attention than ever before as incidents incidents incidents inci inci- dents increase nationwide Statistics show that students in general are drinking less often than they did in years past Today due in part to the 21 year old drinking age stricter underage drinking and liability laws and public public public pub pub- lic attitudes for impaired driving students are more aware of the negative negative negative neg neg- impact on alcohol abuse However many of today's students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents are not necessarily drinking less Research is showing that they are waiting until Thursday Friday or Saturday night to drink Students may drink less often but some think that drinking to the point of puking is okay There are a few things that can be likely indicators of alcohol poisoning poisoning poisoning poison poison- ing and we should all be aware of these for those times when we are the caring earing friend The first symptom is that the person person person per per- son is unconscious and cannot be woken Second is that the person has cold clammy pale or bluish skin which usually signifies a lack of oxygen Third the person is breathing unusually slowly or less than than eight eight times a minute A fourth symptom would be a person vomiting while sleeping or passed out and not waking while vomiting Do not leave that person alone somewhere to sleep it off You have to stay with your friend to make sure they wont won't progress toward any medical distress If your friend has any of those symptoms he or she might be suffering suffering suffering suf suf- suf- suf fering from a alcohol cohol poisoning and should be taken immediately to a medical center Do not leave the person person person per per- son alone Turn the person on their side to prevent choking in case of vomiting Alcohol is bombarding the brain depriving it of needed oxygen The brain struggles to deal with the overdose overdose overdose over over- dose of alcohol a depressant The lack of oxygen begins to shut down the involuntary functions that for example regulate breathing and heart rate Caring friends have put a drunken drunk drunk- en man or woman to bed only to find him or her dead the next morn morn- ing Horror stories are common One student died in the back seat scat of a car between two brothers on the way home from a party The most haunting aspect is that often a friend could have spotted the signs of alcohol alcohol alcohol alco alco- hol poisoning and could have brought life saving medical help Alcohol poisoning is a serious problem For more information on this topic topie call caB the Drug Alcohol Education Program at |