Whether in social settings or alone, staying safe while consuming alcohol is essential to your overall health and staying operationally ready. No matter the occasion for drinking, knowing your limit is key. If you drink too much, you may experience alcohol poisoning. This occurs when there is too much alcohol in your bloodstream, shutting down essential functions in the brain that control your breathing, heart rate and temperature regulation. Alcohol poisoning is dangerous and can be life-threatening. As a Warfighter, staying healthy and safe are necessary for readiness. Recognize the signs of adverse reactions to alcohol and drink responsibly when you drink.

For men, moderate drinking is no more than 2 standard drinks per day. For women, moderate drinking is no more than 1 standard drink per day. A standard drink in the U.S. is equal to 14 grams (0.6 ounces) of pure alcohol. Make sure to pay attention to how many ounces and the ABV% (alcohol by volume percentage). This amount of pure alcohol is found in the following quantities of the four types of alcohol:

  • 12-ounces of beer (5% ABV)
  • 8-ounces of malt liquor (7% ABV)
  • 5-ounces of wine (12% ABV)
  • 1.5-ounces of 80-proof liquor (40% ABV)

Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning

Simply put, the more you consume in one sitting, the more likely you are to experience alcohol poisoning. There are many signs and symptoms that show you have consumed too much for your body to process.

Confusion

Delayed reaction time

Slurred speech

Hard time staying conscious

Lack of coordination

Vomiting

Irregular or slowed breathing (<8 breaths per minute)

Slow heart rate

Incontinence (e.g., soiling yourself)

Cold, clammy or bluish-colored skin

Low body temperature

Abdominal pain

Internal bleeding

Seizures

Navigating Alcohol Poisoning

Having any of the above symptoms shows your body is negatively responding to the type or amount of alcohol consumed. It’s important to know these symptoms so you can receive or get someone experiencing alcohol poisoning the help they need. Make sure to never leave someone alone in this state.

Seek Help: Call emergency services. Alcohol poisoning can be life threatening. 

Stay Awake: Remaining conscious is essential; if someone loses consciousness, call 911 immediately.

Hydrate: Consuming large amounts of alcohol (i.e., more than the daily recommendation) likely means someone is dehydrated. As the liver processes the alcohol, stay hydrated as much as possible. If someone is unconscious, do not try to give them any liquids.

Prevent Choking: If someone is unconscious, turn them on their side so they won’t choke if they vomit.

Impact on Readiness

There are many reasons you may consume alcohol and/or drink in excess. It’s important to understand that consuming alcohol comes with both health and career risks. In addition to the negative and dangerous outcomes of binge drinking, drinking too much can impact your military service. Recovering from alcohol poisoning may leave you slower in the days after drinking as you work through the hangover. This may impact your focus and decision making at work, which puts you and your unit at risk. Drinking to the point of alcohol poisoning, especially frequently, puts you at risk for developing alcohol use disorder (AUD) and other health conditions affecting the liver, brain and heart. Alcohol use also increases your risk for cancer in nearly every area of your body. If you are navigating these health conditions, you may be medically separated from service.

Other outcomes include legal and financial consequences. Remember, it is illegal to drink and drive over the legal limit of 0.08 BAC. When drinking, have a plan to safely travel when consuming alcohol – it’s not only encouraged, but it can also save lives. Additionally, as a Warfighter, you must adhere to the UCMJ with a variety of consequences depending on the circumstance, with alcohol poisoning often falling under incapacitation for duty or conduct offenses.

It may be beneficial to think about your drinking habits and relationship to alcohol. Do your habits and motivations to drink support mission readiness and overall wellbeing? There is always an option to explore drinking less, as well. Alcohol poisoning is more than passing your tolerance level, it’s dangerous and should be avoided for your safety. If you are concerned about your drinking habits, speak with your care team and leadership to receive the support you need.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, Dial 988 then Press 1. 

 

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