Alcohol poisoning occurs when the body has a toxic reaction to too much drinking. Anyone who drinks large quantities of alcohol, or even smaller amounts of alcohol too quickly, is susceptible to alcohol poisoning. It can be fatal or cause serious brain damage.

Getting very drunk to the point of passing out is often seen as being humorous or taken very lightly in our society. It's a myth that when a drunken person is passed out, he or she is "sleeping it off." The fact is that even when a person drinks to the point of passing out, his or her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is still rising. This is because the alcohol is still present in the intestine and stomach and is still going through the blood stream.

Vomiting is often seen as a harmless result of over-drinking, yet in reality vomiting after alcohol consumption can be the body's reaction to toxic levels of alcohol. People have different tolerance levels to the drug and it is important to remember that alcohol is a drug. Alcohol depresses the choking reflex and respiratory functioning and drunken people have died from choking on their own vomit. All the black coffee and cold showers in the world won't work to "sober up" a person experiencing the symptoms of alcohol use including alcohol poisoning.

Vomiting, confusion, slowed or irregular breathing and seizures are possible symptoms of alcohol poisoning. Hypothermia, or low body temperature, is another symptom of alcohol poisoning and the skin may have a bluish appearance or look pale. Medical attention must be sought immediately when a person is displaying symptoms of alcohol poisoning!

When a person showing symptoms of alcohol poisoning in brought to the emergency room, blood is taken to find out how much alcohol is in the person's system. He or she may have to consume a charcoal-based liquid because the charcoal absorbs the alcohol so that some of the effects of the alcohol on the body are hopefully reduced. Since excessive alcohol can seriously dehydrate the body, especially when vomiting occurs, the patient may be given fluids intravenously. In the most severe cases of alcohol poisoning, the stomach is usually pumped and medications may be given. Some patients may need to stay in hospital for observation.