Newswise — A Rutgers expert is available to speak about the risk of alcohol poisoning as we enter a season filled with end-of-school celebrations, outdoor BBQs and vacations.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 2,200 alcohol poisoning deaths occur in the United States each year, an average of six people each day; 76 percent of those deaths are men.
“Alcohol poisoning is more common and life-threatening than people realize,” says Diane Calello, executive and medical director of the New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School’s Department of Emergency Medicine. “Intoxication can lead to death or permanent brain damage. A person who consumes a fatal dose of alcohol may stop breathing or choke on their vomit while unconscious. As alcohol levels continue to rise in the body, a person who looks asleep may very well be unconscious.”
Many factors, such as gender, weight, food consumption, influence the amount of time between drinking alcohol and feeling its intoxicating effects, he said.
Calello gives the following advice about how to avoid and recognize alcohol poisoning:
- Understand how much you’re drinking. People often consider how many drinks they’ve had, but don’t take into account the volume or alcohol content of those drinks. A standard drink is said to be: 12 ounces of beer (at 5% alcohol by volume), 5 ounces of wine (at 12% alcohol by volume) or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor (at 40% alcohol by volume). Most alcoholic drinks are not consistently measured, which makes it difficult to know exactly how much alcohol you are consuming. In addition, drinks today, especially craft beers, often have a much higher alcohol content than they did in the past.
- “Sleeping it off” is never a safe option. A person who appears to be very drunk or has passed out may be showing early signs of alcohol poisoning and be in real danger. Immediate medical help is essential. Most states, such as New Jersey, provide immunity from arrest and prosecution for anyone who in good faith seeks medical assistance for an overdose victim, as well as immunity for the person suffering the overdose.
- Know the critical signs of alcohol poisoning: Mental confusion, stupor, coma (or person cannot be woken up); slow or irregular breathing; blue skin color or low body heat; vomiting; or seizures.
- Don’t hesitate, get medical help: If you have concerns about alcohol poisoning, the effects of alcohol or alcohol-related illnesses, call the medical experts at the New Jersey Poison Control Center, 1-800-222-1222. If someone is unconscious, not breathing, hard to wake up or is seizing, call 9-11.
Media can reach Calello at [email protected] or by contacting Alicia Gambino, New Jersey Poison Control, at 973-972-9280 or [email protected]. After May 22, contact Neal Buccino at (848) 932-7328 or [email protected] to reach Calello.
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