Knowing How to Respond to Alcohol Overdose Signs Can Save an Individual's Life

By Denny Mitchell

Nearly three months ago Robert applied for a position as a bouncer at one of the big nightclubs located in the city. He took daily vitamins, nutrients, and minerals; he was a body builder; he studied ninjitsu, gatka, judo, karate, and aikido for eight-and-a-half years; he was into health foods and healthy eating; and he seemed like a natural for such a position. In fact, Robert was so diligent about his bodybuilding and his overall health that he stopped drinking abusively approximately four-and-a-half years ago and then he made up his mind around six-and-a-half months ago to totally quit drinking.

One morning when Robert opened his mail and read that he was selected for the bouncer position, he was thrilled. Due to the fact that this was an exclusive nightspot, however, he read that he was required to attend a ten-day training class that began the following Monday morning at 9:00 AM.

On the first day of instruction, after the teacher introduced himself and asked everyone else to say a few things about themselves, the instructor without delay began talking about "problem drinkers" who drink in an immature and unhealthy manner and specifically what the barmaids, bouncers, and bartenders can do when "difficult circumstances" such as these arise. When the instructor started discussing highly charged situations, the first topic he reviewed was alcohol poisoning. When Robert heard this he was reassured because this was a topic he felt he knew very little about.

As the trainer emphasized to all of the new employees, nausea and vomiting were almost without exception the first symptoms displayed by a person who is experiencing an alcohol overdose. The instructor also highlighted the fact that passing out was perhaps the one alcohol overdose symptom or sign that clearly identified this medical crisis. The teacher also emphasized the fact that alcohol poisoning signs and symptoms were signals from the brain and from the body that the person has consumed more alcohol than his or her body can metabolize.

There were several other alcohol poisoning signs and symptoms that all of the new bouncers, barmaids, and bartenders were taught to identify. For example, all the new employees were made aware that individuals with an alcohol overdose commonly exhibit erratic behavior, poor reflexes and confusion; they suffer from seizures; they are difficult to awaken once they pass out or fall asleep; and they often pass out.

The members of the class also learned that many people who experience an alcohol overdose also exhibit slurred speech; they display blue tinged or pale skin; they manifest little response from painful stimuli, for example from pinching; they display shallow, slow, or irregular breathing; they manifest an inability to make eye contact or sustain a conversation; and they typically feel quite ill and suffer from excessive vomiting.

The instructor then pointed out the fact that alcohol addicted people are not the only ones who suffer through alcohol poisoning. Stated more precisely, the teacher stressed the fact that alcohol abusers and binge drinkers, along with people who are dependent on alcohol, can also suffer from an alcohol overdose. The trainer then defined binge drinking as follows: ingesting five or more alcoholic beverages during one occasion for males and drinking four or more alcoholic beverages during one occasion for females.

To underline the effect that binge drinking has on alcohol poisoning, the trainer told the new workers in the class that a person who gets intoxicated just a few times per year is still engaging in alcohol abuse. While it is quite unlikely that this individual is an alcoholic, it is very likely, on the contrary, that this person involved himself or herself in binge drinking. As stated by the teacher, engaging in binge drinking even once, sadly, can lead to alcohol poisoning that in exceptional circumstances can be deadly.

The teacher then told the new bouncers, barmaids, and bartenders that the most appropriate response for an alcohol overdose is this: if it is supposed that a person is suffering from alcohol poisoning, call 911 and ask for emergency medical assistance. By following this action plan, the drinker will receive the prompt alcohol poisoning treatment he or she needs.

After obtaining top-quality training about alcohol poisoning in general, alcohol overdose signs and symptoms in particular, and discovering the "best" response for this medical emergency, Robert thought that he had learned some relevant and important information that just may save an individuals life down the road. After his broad based training, what is more, Robert was thankful for everything he had learned and he honesty felt much closer to the other new bouncers, barmaids, and bartenders with whom he would be working.

About the Author: