Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning occurs when a person drinks a toxic amount of alcohol, usually over a short period of time (binge drinking).

Being poisoned by alcohol can damage your health or even put your life in danger.

It's important to avoid misusing alcohol and to be aware of how much you're drinking and the effect this could have on your body.

Signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning

The signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:

confusion
severely slurred speech
loss of co-ordination
vomiting
irregular or slow breathing
hypothermia (pale or blue-tinged skin caused by low body temperature)
stupor (being conscious but unresponsive)
passing out and being unconscious

In the most severe cases, alcohol poisoning can lead to coma, brain damage and death.

If a person is poisoned by alcohol they could:

choke on their vomit
stop breathing
have a heart attack
inhale vomit, leading to fatal lung damage
become severely dehydrated, which can cause permanent brain damage in extreme cases
develop more severe hypothermia
have seizures (fits) as a result of lowered blood sugar levels

Repeated vomiting and retching can lead to the vomiting of blood as a result of a torn blood vessel (Mallory-Weiss tear) at the junction of the stomach and gullet.

In the most severe cases, alcohol poisoning can lead to coma, brain damage and death.

When to seek medical help

If you suspect alcohol poisoning, dial 999 immediately to request an ambulance. While you're waiting:

try to keep them sitting up and awake
give them water if they can drink it
if they've passed out, lie them on their side in the recovery position and check they're breathing properly
keep them warm
stay with them and monitor their symptoms

Never leave a person alone to 'sleep it off'. The level of alcohol in a person's blood can continue to rise for up to 30-40 minutes after their last drink. This can cause their symptoms to suddenly become much more severe.

You also shouldn't give them coffee or any more alcohol, put them under a cold shower or walk them around. These won't help someone 'sober up' and may even be dangerous.

Treatment

Someone who has alcohol poisoning won't be able to help themselves.

When you're drinking with a group of people, it's important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning and know what to do when someone has had too much to drink.

Following the advice below could save someone’s life.

What you should do

If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning, dial 999 and ask for an ambulance. While you're waiting:

try to keep them sitting up and awake
give them water if they can drink it
if they've passed out, lie them on their side in the recovery position and check they're breathing properly
keep them warm
stay with them and monitor their symptoms

What you shouldn't do

There are many myths about how to 'sober someone up' when they're drunk, most of which are wrong and can even be dangerous. You shouldn't:

give them coffee because it will dehydrate them more
leave them alone or lying on their back, even if they're asleep
walk them around
put them under a cold shower
let them drink any more alcohol

Hospital treatment

Someone with alcohol poisoning needs to be taken to hospital.

Medical staff at hospital will closely monitor the person until all the alcohol has left their system. They may also need to:

insert a tube into their mouth and windpipe (intubation) to open the airway, remove any blockages and help with breathing
fit an intravenous drip, which goes directly into a vein, to top up their water, blood sugar and vitamin levels
fit a catheter (thin tube) to their bladder to drain urine straight into a bag so they don't wet themselves
pump their stomach by flushing fluids through a tube inserted into their nose or mouth

How alcohol poisoning is treated in hospital

In hospital, the person will be carefully monitored until the alcohol has left their system. If treatment is required, this may include:

inserting a tube into their mouth and windpipe (intubation) – to open the airway, remove any blockages and help with breathing
fitting an intravenous drip, which goes directly into a vein – to top up their water, blood sugar and vitamin levels
fitting a catheter (thin tube) to their bladder – to drain urine straight into a bag so they don't wet themselves

Dangers of alcohol poisoning

If a person is poisoned by alcohol they could:

choke on their vomit
stop breathing
have a heart attack
inhale vomit, leading to fatal lung damage
become severely dehydrated, which can cause permanent brain damage in extreme cases
develop more severe hypothermia
have seizures (fits) as a result of lowered blood sugar levels

Repeated vomiting and retching can lead to the vomiting of blood as a result of a torn blood vessel (Mallory-Weiss tear) at the junction of the stomach and gullet.

Other related risks

Drinking too much alcohol can affect a person's judgement and put them in situations where their health and safety are at risk. For example, they may:

have an accident or get injured
become involved in violent or antisocial behaviour
have unsafe sex, which can lead to an unplanned pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
lose personal possessions

How alcohol poisoning occurs

Every time you drink alcohol, your liver has to filter it out of your blood. Alcohol is absorbed quickly into your body (much quicker than food), but the body can only process around one unit of alcohol an hour.

If you drink a lot of alcohol over a short space of time, such as on a night out, your body won't have time to process it all. Alcohol poisoning can also occur if a person drinks household products that contain alcohol – children sometimes drink these by accident.

The amount of alcohol in your bloodstream – known as your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) – will rise.

The effects of alcohol

Around 1-2 units

your heart rate will speed up and your blood vessels will expand
you get the warm, sociable feeling associated with moderate drinking

Around 4-6 units

your decision making and judgement will start to be affected, making you lose your inhibitions and become more reckless
the cells in your nervous system will start to be affected, making you feel lightheaded
your co-ordination will be affected and your reaction time may be slower

Around 8-9 units

your reaction times will be much slower
your speech will be slurred
your vision will begin to lose focus
your liver won't be able to remove all of the alcohol overnight, so it's likely you'll wake up with a hangover

At this stage you should seriously consider not drinking any more alcohol.

If you do:

Around 10-12 units

your co-ordination will be seriously impaired, placing you at high risk of having an accident
you may stagger around or feel unstable on your feet
you'll feel drowsy or dizzy
the amount of alcohol in your body will begin to reach toxic (poisonous) levels
you may need to go to the toilet more often as your body attempts to quickly pass the alcohol out of your body in your urine
you'll be dehydrated in the morning, and probably have a severe headache
the excess alcohol in your system may upset your digestive system, leading to nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or indigestion

More than 12 units

you're at high risk of developing alcohol poisoning, particularly if you're drinking lots of units in a short space of time
the alcohol can begin to interfere with the automatic functions of your body, such as your breathing, heart rate and gag reflex
you're at risk of losing consciousness

Recommended alcohol limits

If you drink most weeks, to reduce your risk of harming your health:

men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week
spread your drinking over three days or more if you drink as much as 14 units a week

One unit of alcohol is equivalent to:

half a pint of lower-strength lager, beer or cider (ABV 3.6%)
a single small shot of spirits (25ml, ABV 40%)