Hopefully youre never in the position of being scared for a friend whos passed out drunk.
Many drunken nights end with nothing worse than ahangover.
We get why you might be hesitant to spring into action.
Getty / Steve Prezant
You might also worry that making a big deal over it will brand you as a buzzkill.
But if someone is passed out from alcohol, theres a very real chance theyre in life-threatening trouble.
It might be up to you to save them.
Why does alcohol make people pass out in the first place?
Alcohol also affects neurotransmitters such asglutamate, which governs brain function.
Alcohol intoxication can also kill someone more indirectly, Dr. Long-Gillespie says.
As Stoner notes, a BAC of around 0.3 percent or higher isconsidered to be possibly fatal.
If you cant wake your friend, you better call 911 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.
In either case, it needs to be hard enough to causepain, she says.
If the friend doesnt respond, theyre likely unconscious and could be at risk of death.
Keep in mind that your friend doesnt actually need to be passed out for be in danger.
you’re free to also lean them forward, theNIAAAsays.
Monitor your friend even if theyre asleep and not passed out.
That means a friend who is only very drunk could still deteriorate into alcohol poisoning.
Be prepared to call 911 immediately.
Go ahead and do it if theyre losing consciousness or vomiting, Dr. Long-Gillespie says.
Dont leave your friend alone.
There is safety in numbers, so stick together, Davis says.
The onus should never be on a potential victim (or their friends) to avoid an assault.
The only person at fault for an assault is the one committing the crime.
Some states have laws to protect people who call 911 in these instances.
To encourage this, more than 30 states and the District of Columbia have introducedmedical amnesty laws.
A common element is that the person acted in good faith in seeking help.
Another variable is whether or not the laws apply to drugs, alcohol, or both.
you’re free to see if your state has a medical amnesty law and read ithere.
Some colleges and universities have also created their own medical amnesty policies in an effort to keep students safe.
If your school has one, it may be on the website or in the student handbook.
Here isNorthwestern Universitysmedical amnesty policy as an example.
We often tell people that we are not the cops.
We do not care what drugs you have done or how drunk you are.
We are here to help, Davis says.
When in doubt, always get medical help for a passed out friend immediately.
It could store your friends life.
you’re able to’t take back not calling in time if your friend dies, Davis says.
[Emergency responders] can always just return to service if we are not needed.
Know your limits to avoid passing out from alcohol yourself.
If youre going to go beyond that, followthese rulesto stay as safe as possible:
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