Alcohol: The effects of binge drinking

Binge drinking can be very dangerous and some of the risks include:

• COORDINATION
  Drinking a lot of alcohol can affect balance, increasing the risk of having an accident. Alcohol
  affects how you feel pain, so you may not realise that you have been seriously injured.
• RISK TAKING BEHAVIOURS, leading to risky situations
  If you have drunk a lot of alcohol you may not be completely aware of your surroundings. You then become at risk of physical or sexual assault.
• ARGUMENTS AND CONFRONTATIONS
  Binge drinking affects our mood which can lead to arguments with other people. It also makes us more likely to do or say things we wouldn’t normally, so we could find ourselves in violent or dangerous situations.

Alcohol poisoning: One of the biggest risks of binge drinking is the danger of developing alcohol poisoning. This is when the body overdoses on alcohol. If you are with someone who has alcohol poisoning, it is very important that they receive medical attention immediately.

Alcohol poisoning is very serious. If someone has alcohol poisoning they could die. It’s really important to be able to
recognise the signs of alcohol poisoning so you can get help straight away.

Some of the signs of alcohol poisoning are:

• Being confused and uncoordinated
• Being conscious but not responding
• Vomiting
• Having a seizure
• A low body temperature (called hypothermia)
• Having blue-tinged or pale skin
• Passing out

What to do:

• Try to keep them awoke and sitting up. If not, just roll them onto their side and check they ore breathing properly. Put them in the recovery position if you know it.
• Keep them warm and stay with them
• Give them sips of water, if they can drink it
• Ring 999

What not to do:

• Don’t leave them alone or let them sleep it off
• Don’t give them coffee (this could dehydrate them more)
• Don’t walk them around
• Don’t give them more alcohol to drink
• Don’t put them in a cold shower (this could cause shock)
• Don’t make them sick

TIP TO KEEP SAFE: If you are worried someone has alcohol poisoning, don’t be afraid to ring 999. The most important action is getting help as quickly as possible.