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



This is often known as binge drinking.

Poisoning is exposure to a substance that can damage your health and put your life in danger.

Alcohol poisoning can also occur if a person drinks household products that contain alcohol (children sometimes drink these by accident).

What to look for.

The signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:



confusion



vomiting



seizures (fits)



slow breathing (less than eight breaths a minute)



cold, clammy, pale-bluish skin caused by a dangerous drop in body temperature (hypothermia)



In severe cases, alcohol poisoning can cause unconsciousness, comaand death.

What to do.

If you suspect alcohol poisoning, dial 112 immediately to request an ambulance. Never leave a person to ‘sleep it off’.

Levels of alcohol can continue to rise so a person’s symptoms could suddenly become much more severe.

After being admitted to hospital, the person will be carefully monitored until the alcohol has left their system.

How it can occur.

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

The higher your BAC, the more of an adverse effect alcohol has on the functions of your body. For example if you had:



a BAC of 80 milligrams (mg) of alcohol per 100 millilitres (dl) of blood (the drink driving limit), you would experience some loss of co-ordination and an altered perception of the environment



a BAC of 100-200mg per dl, you would experience impaired judgment, slurred speech, loss of memory and involuntary movement of your eyes



a BAC of 200-400mg per dl, you would have double vision, feel sick, have hypothermia and severely slurred speech



a BAC of over 400mg per dl, you would have severe breathing difficulties and go into a coma followed by death



At very high levels, alcohol affects the nerves that control automatic functions, such as breathing, heartbeat and your gag reflex (which stops you from choking).

Excessive alcohol consumption can slow or even shut down these functions, causing you to stop breathing and become unconscious.

How common is alcohol poisoning?

In 2015-16, just over 297,000 people were admitted to hospital for conditions or injuries related solely to alcohol consumption.

Of these, just under 34,000 admissions were the result of alcohol poisoning, with around 50,500 admissions due to alcohol-related liver disease.

Mental and behavioural disorders caused by alcohol consumption were the most common alcohol-related diagnosis in 2012-13, resulting in 198,600 hospital admissions.

Symptoms of alcohol poisoning.

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 worsen.

It's important to be aware of the signs of alcohol poisoning.

Signs of alcohol poisoning.

Signs a person may have 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



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.

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



Treatment for alcohol poisoning. 

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 112 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 positionand 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 windpipe to help them breathe (tracheostomy)



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





Preventing alcohol poisoning 

Alcohol passes quickly into your bloodstream. The physical and mental effects can occur very suddenly.

To avoid getting drunk and risking alcohol poisoning, it helps to be aware of how much you're drinking and the effect this could have on your body.

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.

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



Tips for drinking less.

Below is some advice about how to drink less alcohol and avoid getting alcohol poisoning.



Replace some of your drinks with non-alcoholic or low-alcohol drinks.



If you drink mainly when you go out, try going out later or having your first drink later.



If you drink mainly at home, buy non-alcoholic or low-alcohol alternatives.



Buy smaller glasses and be careful about how much you pour.



If you drink pints in the pub or cans of beer, remember lower-strength lagers and beers are available.



If you use alcohol to 'wind down' after a hard day, find alternatives, such as exercise classes or relaxation techniques.



Avoid drinking on an empty stomach.



Don't mix different alcoholic drinks, such as beer with wine, or spirits with beer.



Keeping a drink diary.

 



If you're not sure how much you're drinking on a daily basis, try keeping a drink diary. Every day make a note of:



all the alcoholic drinks you had



how many units of alcohol you drank (you can track your drinking from your mobile phone or use the guide to alcohol units)



what time you had them and where you were



This should give you a good idea of how much you're drinking, the situations in which you drink and where you could start to cut down.