If a person is so intoxicated to the point that they are non-responsive, not gasping for air, hyperventilating or not breathing at all, or showing any of the other signs of alcohol poisoning, get help immediately. Call 911.
Should I Let Them Sleep It Off? Absolutely not! Even though the person may appear to be "sleeping it off," their blood alcohol level can still rise and create a life-threatening situation.
Seeming tired, unwell or irritable. Not able to say no to alcohol or stop at one or two drinks. Feeling anxious or depressed, or having trouble sleeping. Seeming secretive or dishonest about how much alcohol they're drinking.
Risky alcohol use includes binge drinking, heavy drinking, and any use by pregnant women or those under age 21.
NEVER give a drunk person food, liquid or medicine in an attempt to sober him/her up. The person may vomit or choke, causing an airway blockage.
If a person is drunk but not having an overdose, you should help them get to a safe place, lie them down on their side, and remain with them if possible. It may take up to a day for alcohol to be completely eliminated from the body. In the meantime, the only thing that will help a person sober up is time.
Allowing the liver enough time to metabolize the alcohol is the only way to remove alcohol from the body. A cold shower, fresh air, exercise, or black coffee will not help sober a person up. Time is the only thing that will remove alcohol from the system (about an hour per standard drink).
Alcohol poisoning can happen when you drink alcohol quicker than your body can process it. It can make you seriously ill and you may need to go to hospital for treatment.
Place the person on his or her side, with knees bent to keep them from turning over, so that if he or she vomits, it is less likely that he or she will stop breathing from choking on vomit. Always stay with the person and watch them so if symptoms get worse you can get them more intensive help immediately.
“A person who is 'sleeping off' their alcohol should be fairly easy to wake up,” Stoner says. “Someone who is unconscious from alcohol would be very difficult to rouse.”
Stay calm and approach them in a non-aggressive stance, open, empty hands in a friendly, non authoritative manner. Try not to tell them what to do, but offer them choices and make your movements nice and slow. Be confident yet non-threatening with them and show genuine concern for their well-being.
Make Sure They Sleep Correctly
it is important to ensure that a drunk person sleeps on their side with a pillow behind them, especially if they are unconscious or unresponsive. This position helps prevent choking in case they vomit while they are sleeping.
There is no minimum amount of alcohol that could cause alcohol poisoning. The amount that can cause alcohol poisoning depends on a person's age, sex, size, weight, how fast they have been drinking, how much they have eaten, their general health and whether they have taken medication or drugs.
They know what they're doing -- alcohol just makes them care less about the consequences. Via Healthzone: A new study says that people who commit blunders while under the influence of alcohol know they're doing it; they just don't care.
You've probably heard a list of things that can help someone sober up—water, coffee, a shower, greasy food. The reality is that nothing will speed up the sobering up process. The only thing that works is time. Sobering up is a slow process.
Generally, people drink to either increase positive emotions or decrease negative ones. This results in all drinking motives falling into one of four categories: enhancement (because it's exciting), coping (to forget about my worries), social (to celebrate), and conformity (to fit in).
Suggest food or other non-alcoholic alternatives in a friendly manner. Do not argue, but don't back down either. Once you inform the guest that they are cut-off, do not waver from that decision. Calmly state the reason why you can no longer serve them alcoholic drinks.
Yes, sometimes people mean what they say when they are drunk. But most of the time, people say whatever comes to mind when drinking without any concern if it's genuinely how they feel. Alcohol lowers inhibition and makes people feel talkative, extroverted, and emboldened.