Sometimes, knowing how to deal with a drunk person can mean the difference between life and death. When someone ingests too much alcohol, they risk harming themselves and others, as they may become alcohol poisoned or even choke on their own vomit during sleep. To properly care for a drunk person, you need to be able to identify the signs of alcohol intoxication, ensure their safety, and take appropriate steps to help them sober up in the right way.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Check to see if it's out of danger
Step 1. Ask the drunk person how much they drank
If you know what and how much he drank, you can decide how to intervene. The amount and frequency with which you have drunk, your build, your tolerance to alcohol and whether you consume food before drinking are all factors that can affect your intoxication. A good night's sleep may be enough, but you can't know if you don't know how much alcohol she has consumed.
- Try asking her, "How are you feeling? Do you know how much you've been drinking? Have you eaten anything before?" That way, you can get a better idea of how much alcohol she has ingested. If you have had more than 5 drinks on an empty stomach, you may be very drunk and need medical attention.
- If he speaks contradicting himself and fails to understand you, it could be a symptom of alcohol intoxication. Get her to the hospital immediately. If you've been drinking too, don't get behind the wheel. Call an ambulance or ask someone who is sober to drive for you to take her to the hospital.
Attention:
it is possible that someone has poured a substance into his glass that triggers the effects of severe intoxication. If you know how much she drank, you can infer or rule out that she was drugged. For example, if he has only consumed a couple of glasses of wine but is experiencing symptoms of acute poisoning, it may be that someone has contaminated him. If you think this risk is possible, take her to the hospital immediately.
Step 2. Explain what you intend to do before approaching
Depending on how drunk she is, she may be confused and disoriented and not quite understand what you are trying to do. It is also possible that she is not thinking clearly and that, if you force her to do something, she is hostile and harms herself and others. So, always explain your intentions.
- If you find her hugged by the toilet and she looks distressed, say, "I'm here if you need anything. Let me brush your hair away from your face."
- Avoid touching or moving it without asking permission.
- If she has passed out, try waking her up by calling her to make sure she is conscious. You could yell at her, "Hey! Are you okay?"
- If he doesn't respond and seems unconscious, call for help immediately.
Step 3. Check for symptoms of alcohol intoxication
Alcohol poisoning can be fatal if it is not treated quickly and correctly. If the person in question is pale, their skin is cold and sticky to the touch, or they breathe slowly or irregularly, call an ambulance or take them to the emergency room immediately. Additional signs of alcohol intoxication include vomiting, confusion, and loss of consciousness.
If you have a seizure, you could be in serious danger. Don't waste time: call an ambulance or take her to the hospital immediately
Step 4. Take her to a safe place so she doesn't harm herself and others
If you know her, try to bring her home so she'll sober up and not hurt anyone. If you don't know her and you are in a public place, see if anyone knows her so they can help you secure her. She needs to be rescued if she is too drunk to take care of herself.
- Don't drive if you've been drinking and never let a drunk person get behind the wheel. Always decide who has to bring the car or use a dedicated carpooling application, such as Uber, to get home safely.
- Take her to a place where she can feel safe and comfortable, such as your home, her home, or a trusted friend's.
Part 2 of 3: Make sure he sleeps peacefully
Step 1. Don't let a drunk person fall asleep without keeping him under control
The body continues to absorb alcohol even after fainting or while sleeping, which can lead to alcohol intoxication. The person may also choke on their own vomit to death if they fall asleep in the wrong position. Don't assume that someone who gets drunk is okay once they fall asleep.
Advise:
remember to monitor for alcohol intoxication in four steps. First, check if the skin is wet with sweat or cyanotic, if the drunk person has lost consciousness, if they cannot stop vomiting, and if they are breathing slowly or irregularly. If you have any of these symptoms, take her to the emergency room immediately.
Step 2. Make sure she sleeps on her side with a pillow behind
If you don't seem to run into any risk of intoxication, sleeping can give your body the time it needs to process the alcoholic substances you ingest and eliminate them from the bloodstream. However, he may vomit while sleeping and choke. Next, make sure she sleeps on her side with a pillow behind her shoulders that prevents her from lying on her back.
- She should sleep in a position that allows her to get the vomit out of her mouth if she is retching during sleep.
- The fetal position is the one that allows a drunk person to sleep without any danger.
- Also put a pillow in front to prevent them from sleeping on their stomach and having difficulty breathing.
Step 3. Wake her up every 5-10 minutes for the first hour
Your body continues to process the alcohol you ingest even when you stop drinking. In other words, your BAC may rise while you sleep. Therefore, during the first hour of sleep, wake her up every 5-10 minutes and check for symptoms of alcohol intoxication.
After that, if everything seems to be fine, you can check it every hour
Step 4. Make sure someone is watching her at night
If she is very drunk, she should be monitored continuously to rule out the risk of alcohol intoxication or choking on vomiting. Someone should stand by her during the night to check her breathing.
- If you don't know her, ask if you can call someone to come and get her.
- It is not permissible for a drunk person to watch over another drunk person. If you've been drinking, ask someone who is sober to help you control it.
- If you are in a restaurant or bar and you don't know her, let the staff know that someone needs to be rescued. Don't leave her alone until you are sure someone is taking care of her.
Part 3 of 3: Helping to dispose of the hangover
Step 1. Stop her from drinking any more
If she is already very drunk, she risks getting intoxicated by continuing to consume alcohol. It could further impair her mental faculties and harm herself or others.
- Refuse categorically to refill her glass. Say, "Listen, I think you've had too much drink and I'm a little worried. I can't pour you any more alcohol."
- If she is aggressive and you don't want to fight, try distracting her with a soft drink or playing a song or movie she likes.
- If she doesn't listen to you in any way, ask someone in her company to ban her from drinking.
- If you can't get yourself to be heard and you are concerned that she may become violent or harm herself or others, call the police.
Step 2. Give her a glass of water
By diluting the alcohol concentration in your blood, you will be able to recover faster. Alcohol dehydrates the body, so a little water will allow you to feel better the next day as well.
- Have her drink a glass of water before she lies down.
- Give her a sports drink, such as Gatorade, so that she can replenish the sodium and electrolytes lost with alcohol.
Step 3. Get her something to eat
Fatty foods, such as cheeseburgers and pizza, can alleviate the effects of alcohol by slowing its passage from the stomach into the bloodstream. Eating does not lower your BAC, but it does help you feel better and reduce alcohol absorption.
- Be careful not to feed her too much or she may throw up. A cheeseburger and a few fries are fine, but don't let him gobble up a whole pizza and 3 burgers, or the risk of him vomiting will increase.
- If you don't have an appetite, try some salty snacks, like peanuts or pretzels.
Step 4. Avoid offering her coffee unless necessary
It is often said that a little coffee helps to get rid of the hangover. However, even if you are awake, it does not reduce the concentration of alcohol in your blood. In addition, caffeine has a dehydrating effect that can slow down the body's processing of alcohol and increase the negative effects associated with a hangover.
Coffee can irritate the stomach and promote vomiting if you are not used to taking it
Advise:
if you are concerned that the drunk person will fall asleep, you may want to keep them awake with a cup of coffee. However, make sure he drinks at least a glass of water to counteract the dehydrating effects of this drink.
Step 5. Don't force a drunk person to throw up
Induced vomiting does not lower the blood alcohol level, but removes fluids from the body with the risk of dehydrating it further. In this case, it takes longer to process and filter the alcohol systemically.
If you feel the need to throw up, stay with the drunk person so they don't fall over and get hurt. Vomiting is a natural defense with which in these cases the body tries to expel alcoholic substances that may still be in the stomach
Step 6. Give her time to hang out
Once the alcohol enters the bloodstream, the only thing left to do is to give the body time to process and filter it. It takes about an hour for him to work off a drink. There are various factors that determine the amount of time it takes for the body to completely expel alcohol from the bloodstream, but patience is the only way to make all effects go away completely.
