Alcohol Poisoning: Signs, Symptoms and What To Do

Author : Dr Mike Garside

Alcohol Poisoning: Signs, Symptoms and What To Do Next

Most of us know what it feels like to have had one too many. Alcohol poisoning is something different, and far more serious. It happens when someone drinks more alcohol than their body can safely process, and without prompt treatment it can be fatal.

This guide explains the warning signs of alcohol poisoning, what to do while you wait for help, how it differs from simply being drunk, and how a breathalyser or alcohol test strips can help you check where you stand the morning after a heavy night.

What is alcohol poisoning?

Alcohol poisoning, sometimes called an alcohol overdose, happens when you drink alcohol more quickly than your liver can break it down. Your liver can typically only process around one unit of alcohol per hour, so drinking heavily or quickly, particularly during a binge drinking session, causes alcohol to build up to dangerous levels in your blood.

Once alcohol reaches a high enough concentration, it starts to affect the parts of the brain that control basic functions such as breathing, heart rate and body temperature. This is a medical emergency, not something that can simply be slept off.

Signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning

Symptoms usually appear after a period of heavy drinking and can develop quickly. Watch out for:

• Confusion or disorientation
• Slurred words or being unable to speak clearly
• Being unable to coordinate movement, stand or walk
• Vomiting
• Losing control of the bladder or bowel
• Pale or blue-tinged skin (on black or brown skin, this can be easier to spot inside the lips, on the gums and under the fingernails)
• Slow or irregular breathing
• Having a seizure or fit
• Loss of consciousness

Red flag warning: You don't need every symptom on this list for it to be an emergency. Even one serious sign, such as passing out or irregular breathing, means you should call 999 straight away.

When to call 999 immediately

Alcohol poisoning can escalate quickly and become life-threatening. Call 999 straight away if:

• You think someone has alcohol poisoning
• Someone has had a seizure or fit
• Someone has lost consciousness or cannot be woken
• Someone has stopped breathing normally

What to do while you wait for help

There's a lot you can do to keep someone safe in the minutes before an ambulance arrives.

Do	Don't
Stay with them, as there's a risk they could choke on their own sick or stop breathing	Do not let them drink any more alcohol
Sit them up if they're awake, or put them in the recovery position if they've passed out, and check they're breathing properly	Do not offer them food, as they could choke
Give them water to sip if they're conscious, able to swallow and not vomiting	Do not give them coffee or other caffeinated drinks, as this can dehydrate someone with alcohol poisoning
Keep them warm with a jacket or blanket	Do not put them in a cold shower or bath, as there's a risk they could get too cold, fall, or lose consciousness in the water
Check them regularly for injuries, especially to the head	Do not try to make them sick

 

It's worth repeating that popular "sobering up" tricks such as strong coffee, a cold shower or exercise don't speed up how quickly the liver clears alcohol from the blood. Only time allows the body to metabolise it, which is exactly why these home remedies won't turn a dangerous situation safe any faster.

"Just drunk" or alcohol poisoning: spotting the difference

Someone who is simply drunk and someone with alcohol poisoning can look similar at a glance, which is why doubt should always be treated as a reason to act, not a reason to wait.

Signs of being drunk	Signs of alcohol poisoning
Talkative, unsteady, giggly	Confused, unresponsive, or difficult to rouse
Can still walk, even if clumsily	Unable to stand or coordinate movement at all
Breathing normally	Slow, shallow or irregular breathing
Skin looks normal or flushed	Skin looks pale or has a blue tinge
Vomits once and feels better	Vomits repeatedly or can't stop

What causes alcohol poisoning?

Alcohol poisoning is usually the result of binge drinking, meaning a large amount of alcohol consumed in one session. Common contributing factors include:

• Drinking games or taking shots, which get large amounts of alcohol into the bloodstream very quickly
• Drinking on an empty stomach, which speeds up how fast alcohol is absorbed
• Mixing alcohol with certain medications or other substances, which can amplify its effects
• Body weight, biological sex and age, which all affect how efficiently someone processes alcohol
• Higher tolerance, which can mislead a drinker into thinking they're fine when their blood alcohol level is still climbing

Checking your alcohol level the morning after

Even if you feel "back to normal" after a heavy night, alcohol can still be in your system hours later, and it's entirely possible to wake up still over the legal driving limit. A single-use disposable breathalyser is a cheap, portable way to check before you get behind the wheel.

If you'd rather have a reusable option, a digital breathalyser gives you an actual reading rather than a colour-change result, which is useful if you're checking your level regularly rather than just once. If you need to confirm abstinence over several days rather than hours, for example supporting a family member cutting back, an ETG urine test can detect alcohol markers for up to around 80 hours after drinking.

Alcohol testing in the workplace

Employers in safety-critical industries such as construction, transport, rail and manufacturing often build alcohol screening into their wider drug and alcohol policy, both to protect staff and to demonstrate compliance with health and safety duties.

For a broader rollout, our full range of workplace alcohol test kits and combined workplace drug and alcohol test kits cover everything from single-use screening to evidential digital breathalysers.

Reducing your risk of alcohol poisoning

You don't have to stop drinking altogether to stay safe. A few simple habits make a real difference:

• Eat a substantial meal before and during drinking, since food slows down alcohol absorption
• Pace yourself and count your units rather than your drinks
• Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or a soft drink
• Avoid drinking games or rounds of shots, which push a lot of alcohol into your system very quickly
• Stick with people you trust, and agree to look out for one another
• Keep your phone charged in case you or a friend needs to call for help

Frequently asked questions

Can you die from alcohol poisoning?

Yes. Severe alcohol poisoning can cause breathing to stop, trigger a fatal heart rhythm, or lead someone to choke on their own vomit while unconscious. It's a genuine medical emergency and should always be treated as one.

Can one heavy drinking session cause alcohol poisoning?

Yes. Alcohol poisoning doesn't require months of heavy drinking; a single binge drinking session, particularly involving spirits, shots or drinking games, can be enough to cause it.

Is alcohol poisoning the same as being drunk?

No. Being drunk is uncomfortable but usually resolves with rest, water and time. Alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency where the body's basic functions, such as breathing and consciousness, are at risk.

Can a breathalyser confirm alcohol poisoning?

Not on its own. A breathalyser measures your breath alcohol level, which can support a picture of how much someone has had to drink, but alcohol poisoning is diagnosed on symptoms and requires emergency medical attention, not a test kit.