Midterms have come and gone, a ginormous weight is lifted off your chest and your first instinct on the first day of Spring Break is to go crazy and have as much fun as you can stand — literally. As Cougars have spread across the world to their spring break destinations, they need to remember to remain safe as it winds down. While having fun is imperative to keeping our sanity for the remainder of the semester, young adults are prone to going past the point of fun and entering a dangerous area.
David Delgado/The Daily Cougar
Alcohol poisoning is one of the many ways a carefree situation can turn hazardous. Drinking is a common social experience for young adults, but the volume of alcohol is concerning. People — foolishly believing that their friends are nearby to take them home and that as long as there’s plenty of booze, good times will be had by all — drink whatever beverage they happen to come upon at a party. They push their luck with drink after drink, until finally, the body has enough and needs to purge.
Oftentimes, it is hard to determine when an individual has surpassed the limit of being drunk into having alcohol poisoning. When you’re out partying with your friends this week, keep a level head and watch out for the symptoms of alcohol poisoning, which according to mayoclinic.com include: “Confusion, stupor, vomiting, seizures, slow breathing (less than eight breaths a minute), irregular breathing (a gap of more than 10 seconds between breaths), blue-tinged skin or pale skin, low body temperature (hypothermia) and unconsciousness.”
Psychology senior Brenda Robles knew her friend was showing symptoms of alcohol poisoning when they were getting ready to leave a house party.
“Apparently (my friend) had been mixing different types of drinks and then all of the sudden she started feeling really sick, and she fainted,” Robles said. “She lost consciousness, and her boyfriend had to carry her to the car. She couldn’t stand up on her own. We ended up having to take her to the hospital.”
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, if a patient is showing signs of trouble breathing, the patient might be administered oxygen therapy, which is where oxygen is pumped through the nose, down the throat or in a face mask. Sometimes, if the patient is in bad enough shape, doctors will pump the patient’s stomach.
If you have a friend who has had too much to drink, start giving them water. Though alcohol is liquid, it has no beneficial needs for the body. Drinking water should rehydrate the tissues and dilute the alcohol in their system, possibly preventing vomiting, but if nothing else, it gives them a chance to drink something else and sober up. However, when someone is suffering from alcohol poisoning, intravenous fluids are administered to prevent dehydration.
According to collegedrinkingprvention.gov, “Untreated dehydration can result in seizures, brain damage and even death.”
So while you are all off on your adventures, keep in mind that though throwing caution to the wind and having a good time sounds awesome, the fun and games end when you or a friend have to go to the hospital to treat alcohol poisoning. Please drink responsibly this weekend, and come back from spring break refreshed.
Kelly Schafler is a creative writing sophomore and may be reached at [email protected].
