How to Avoid Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning results when an individual has had too much too drink over a relatively short time. Alcohol poisoning directly affects the central nervous system and impairs the body's ability to breath or initiate the gag reflex, resulting in possible suffocation, coma or death.

Instructions

• 1

  Learn your limits when it comes to drinking alcohol, especially when it comes to maintaining your blood alcohol level (BAC). The body can process and dispel about 12 oz. of beer per hour, so when you drink more than that, your BAC will climb. Pace yourself when it comes to drinking, and allow your body plenty of time to deal with your intake of alcohol.

• 2

  Avoid alcohol poisoning by refraining from any type of binge drinking, during which large amounts of alcohol are consumed over a very short period of time. This is the primary reason for alcohol poisoning, as the body simply cannot keep up with the amount of alcohol consumed. Stay away from drinking games or competitions in which the rules revolve around the consumption of excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages.

• 3

  Nurse your drink over time. By constantly having a full drink in your hand at a party or a drinking establishment, you will avoid others who feel compelled to constantly "freshen up" your drink or encourage you to finish and have another.

• 4

  Educate your children about the dangers of alcohol poisoning, and tell them how to avoid serious complications, such as brain damage, convulsions, coma and death. The majority of alcohol poisoning cases in the United States involve young people between the ages of 18 and 22, which correlates closely to the age of college students. Even if you have already discussed the dangers of alcohol with your children when they were younger, it can't hurt to give them a refresher before you send them off to college.

• 5

  Seek emergency-medical assistance if you suspect that you or anyone else might be suffering from symptoms of alcohol poisoning. These symptoms include excessive vomiting, stupor, slowed or infrequent-breathing patterns, seizures, confusion and inability to wake up after passing out.