What Is Alcohol Poisoning?:
Alcohol poisoning is a serious and life-threatening consequence of “binge drinking” – drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. Drinking too much too quickly can affect your breathing, heart rate, body temperature and gag reflex and potentially lead to a coma and death.
Consuming alcohol significantly alters mood, behavior, and neuropsychological functioning, and drinking while underage can cause significant developmental problems. Due to the fact that the teen brain and other organs are still developing, adolescents are more susceptible to becoming dependent on alcohol, which is the most commonly used substance that is abused by teens. A teen’s dependency on alcohol increases their risk for teen alcohol poisoning.
As a person drinks more, their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level rises and the liver has difficulty processing the alcohol. Even when a person stops drinking or passes out, the BAC will continue to rise for up to 30 or 40 minutes, because alcohol in the stomach keeps entering the bloodstream. As a result of too much alcohol in the bloodstream, areas of the brain that control the basic life-support functions start shutting down. This affects breathing, heart rate, and body temperature regulation.
