Consuming large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time can cause alcohol poisoning. Knowing when to seek help can save a life.

1. Only time can reverse the effects of alcohol consumption – drinking black coffee, taking a cold shower or sleeping it off don’t work.
2. Many different factors influence the intoxication of an individual, making it difficult to gauge exactly how much is too much.
3. Alcohol depresses the nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex – an overdose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions.
4. A person’s blood alcohol concentration can continue to rise even when they are passed out – after a person stops drinking alcohol in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream.
5. Any of the following symptoms can be critical signs of an alcohol overdose – mental confusion or inability to be roused; vomiting; slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute); irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths); hypothermia, paleness or bluish skin color – don’t try to guess the level of drunkenness, call 911.

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov