More serious consequences than just a hangover

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Amy Abbott
  • 452nd Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

Drinking for the sole purpose of getting drunk is an example of excessive drinking. Extreme indulgence of alcohol can be far more expensive than what a drinker can fix with a Bloody Mary the next morning. 

One of the possible repercussions is alcohol poisoning, which results when the nerves that are responsible for controlling involuntary actions are impaired. An extremely large amount of alcohol can actually stop these functions altogether. 

“Alcohol poisoning is the most immediate and life-threatening consequence of binge drinking,” said Master Sgt. Darryl Heisser, police service and resource protection manager for the 452nd Security Forces Squadron. “It occurs when someone drinks so much that the body's involuntary reflexes - including breathing and the gag reflex - are affected. If the gag reflex isn't working properly, a person who throws up risks choking to death on the vomit.” 

In addition, just because a person is passed out does not mean they are “sleeping it off.” Even when a person is asleep, their blood alcohol content continues to rise as the alcohol passes through their system. Seizures, hyperthermia, slow, irregular and stopped breathing can also be some of the consequences of extreme partying. 

This information is especially pertinent to military members because, according to a story the American Forces Press Service ran a few years back, an alarming “21 percent of service members admit to drinking heavily - a statistic the military hasn’t managed to lower in 20 years.” On March ARB alone there have been seven incidents of driving under the influence since January of 2005 and one possible incident of alcohol poisoning, according to Sergeant Heisser. 

The Air Force Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment program includes substance abuse prevention, education and treatment as does the Demand Reduction program. It is the responsibility of the leadership to help offset this problem by talking to their troops about the impacts and risks of heavy drinking, as well as discussing available treatment. 

If you think someone is suffering from alcohol poisoning, do not hesitate to call for help and do not leave the person unattended. Immediately put the person on their side to eliminate a potential for choking and do not give the person food, drink or place them in a shower to “revive” them. 

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, some of the symptoms for alcohol poisoning are mental confusion, coma and not being roused by loud yelling or shaking. They also may vomit, have seizures, breathe fewer than eight breaths per minute or have 10 seconds or more between breaths. Lastly, alcohol poisoning can also cause the person to suffer from hyperthermia, making their body temperature lower and turning them pale with a bluish skin color. 

In addition to alcohol poisoning and the possibility of death, “excessive drinking can lead to missing (drill weekends), difficulty concentrating on assigned tasks, memory lapses and sudden mood changes, and other problems that affect your day-to-day life,” added Sergeant Heisser. “Binge drinkers are also more likely than other people to be involved in aggressive behavior, including date rape and sexual assault.”