Alcohol or Other Drug Emergency

How to help a friend who has had too much to drink

Alcohol poisoning can be fatal. If someone has had too much to drink or hurt themselves while drinking, call for help immediately and stay with the person until help arrives.

In cases of a potential head injury, even if the person regains consciousness, he or she must be evaluated immediately.

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Signs of alcohol poisoning

• Inability to rouse the person with loud shouting or vigorous shaking
• Inability of a person who was passed out to stay awake for more than 2-3 minutes
• Slow or irregular breathing or lapses in breathing
• Weak pulse, very rapid pulse, or very slow pulse
• Cold, clammy, or bluish skin
• Vomiting while passed out, not waking up after vomiting, or incoherent while vomiting

What to do

Don’t just let them "sleep it off."

Call for help:

• 911 Emergency, or
• 255-1111 for Cornell Police
• 255-5155 for Gannett consultation (24/7)

Stay with the person until help arrives.

Turn the person on his/her side to prevent choking if the person vomits.

Be prepared to give the emergency medical personnel as much information as possible, including any drugs or medications taken.

What NOT to do

Do not hesitate to call 911. The person's life is in danger. Better to be safe than sorry.

Do not leave the person alone. The person may seem to be okay, but the alcohol ingested may take some time to be absorbed before peak levels are reached in the brain.

Do not leave the person lying on his/her back.

Do not try to give the person anything to eat or drink.

Do not put the person in a cold shower. The person could fall or the shock could make him/her pass out.

Get out of JA-Free with Medical Amnesty

In on-campus alcohol-related medical emergencies, the Medical Amnesty Protocol applies to most judicial violations.