Tips on how to survive New Year’s parties

With New Year’s Eve approaching, liquor store sales are increasing as everyone over the age of 18 is preparing for the biggest party of the year.

While some of us will be lucky and survive the night, others might overindulge with either food or booze and if you are the designated driver you might be able to prevent one of your friends getting alcohol poisoning. Remember – prevention is always better than cure.

Here are some tips on how to prevent alcohol poisoning, and to make it to midnight without dying or missing it:

• The first, and less fun option is to drink less while partying. The effect of alcohol on people’s bodies differs from person to person and alcohol poisoning might come sooner for some. Some people drink kegs-full of alcohol without even starting to stumble, others drink five or six beers and pass out. So know your body and know when you’ve had enough.

• A good way to regulate alcohol consumption is to drink one drink per hour. This ensures you have only had six or seven drinks by midnight.

• Also, stick to one type of drink. If you are having beer, stick to beer. If you are having wine, stick to wine. Mixing alcohol types makes you drunker, faster.

• Don’t play drinking games. They are devised to make you drunker, faster. Chugging drinks also has this effect, so avoid chugging.

• Always eat before you drink.

To determine whether someone has alcohol poisoning, ask yourself these questions:

• Is the person confused, in a stupor, or in a coma?

• Is he/ she vomiting?

• Is he/ she experiencing seizures?

• Is he/ she breathing incredibly slowly (fewer than eight breaths per minute)?

• Is the person breathing irregularly (10 seconds or more between breaths)?

• Does the person have a low body temperature or hypothermia (extreme low body temperature), and a bluish or pale skin colour?

After checking for these symptoms, it is important to know how to either treat them or prepare to take them to the hospital.

If you are still at home and need to treat someone, follow these steps:

• If you suspect your friend might have alcohol poisoning, stay with him/ her at all costs (even if he/ she has to vomit).

• Give the person as much water as you can. Hydrating is a good way of relieving drunkenness and alcohol poisoning.

• If the person is unconscious, lay him/ her on his/ her side in the recovery position.

• Make sure the person’s mouth is elevated slightly so he/ she doesn’t choke if he/ she happens to vomit.

• Keep the person warm.

• Don’t give the person coffee, food or medication.

What to expect when you take your friend to the hospital for alcohol poisoning:

The first thing a nurse will do at the hospital is suggest pumping out the person’s stomach. This entails placing a tube down the patient’s throat or nose, pumping saline solution into the stomach and then sucking stomach content out with the same tubes. After this, the doctor will determine if it is necessary to administer any other treatments.

It is important to remember that people can die from alcohol poisoning. Multiple deaths are reported every year. Many of these deaths occur when the person vomits while unconscious and then chokes on their own vomit.

Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at krugersdorpnews@caxton.co.za or phone us on 011 955 1130.

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