Alcohol: Signs of overdose and how to respond

In this article

Do you know how to help someone experiencing a potential alcohol overdose? Learn how to recognize the signs, and how to respond.

Alcohol is a legal depressant drug that slows down the messages travelling between the brain and the body.

In small amounts, alcohol can cause you to feel relaxed, more confident and heighten your emotions.

Alcohol depresses the nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex (to prevent choking). A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually cause these functions to shut down.

Since alcohol is an irritant to the stomach, excessive vomiting is also common. If the person is unconscious, this could lead to death by asphyxiation.

Signs of alcohol overdose

Some signs of an overdose due to alcohol include:

  • Confusion
  • Loss of co-ordination
  • Vomiting
  • Seizures
  • Irregular breathing (a gap of more than 10 seconds between breaths)
  • Slow breathing (less than eight breaths per minute)
  • Pale or blue tinged skin
  • Low body temperature (hypothermia)
  • Unconsciousness or passing out

How to respond to an alcohol overdose

  • Before you act, check for danger.
  • Call an ambulance, tell the operator your location, and stay on the line.
  • Try to keep the person awake, warm and in a sitting position.
  • If you can’t get a response or the person is unconscious, put them in the recovery position. Don’t leave them on their back.
  • Be prepared to give CPR if they stop breathing before an ambulance arrives.
  • If muscle spasms or seizures occur, remove anything from the immediate environment that might cause injury.
  • Stay with them until help arrives – do not leave the person alone.

What NOT to do for an alcohol overdose

The actions below might seem like a good idea to help someone ‘sober up’ – but in the case of a suspected alcohol overdose, it’s important that you do NOT do any of the following.

  • Do NOT leave them to sleep it off. The amount of alcohol in someone’s blood continues to rise even when they stop drinking.
  • Do NOT give them coffee. Alcohol and coffee both dehydrates the body. Having both can lead to severe dehydration and permanent brain damage.
  • Do NOT make them sick. Alcohol can interfere with a persons gag reflex, causing them to choke on their own vomit.
  • Do NOT walk them around. Alcohol slows brain function and affects co-ordination and balance. Walking them around might cause accidents.
  • Do NOT put them in a cold shower – it could dangerously reduce body temperature and lead to hypothermia.
  • Do NOT let them drink more alcohol. The amount of alcohol in their bloodstream could become even higher – which could put them in further danger.

Learn more about overdose response

Download our drug fact sheets for more information about different types of drugs, signs of overdose and how to respond in an emergency.

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