Arriving on a college campus is stressful enough with trying to figure out your classes, clubs, and other activities, but it becomes more difficult when drinking is added to the mix. I have seen many people take one drink too many and end up needing help to get home and sleep it off. Unfortunately, sometimes that isn’t enough. On campus drinking becomes a basis for social life at parties helping students relate with each other through the shared activity. It is very difficult to find a campus that is free of drinking, but hopefully with some tips, you can help the friend or person in need who has taken one swig too many in a dangerous game.
Watch Them. We often miss how our friends drink too much by thinking they didn’t have a lot or that they can handle it, but no one can know for sure just by looking at someone. When drinking, you should watch yourself and your friends carefully. Know the type of alcohol you had and the amount that you drank. If you see a friend sway a bit, or getting a bit to rambunctious, these among other signs can indicate that they have had too much and need to stop.
Telling Them to Stop. You can get a variety of reactions from your friends on telling them they need to stop drinking, but it’s more important that they do stop instead of them getting mad at you. The best thing to give them is time for the alcohol to go through the system, but changing their drinks for water and getting them to eat more food is a good way to start. If they continue to fight you on the issue or if they refuse to help themselves, get them out of the situation.
Take Them Home. This is a bit redundant if they are home, but if they aren’t then they need to start leaving. Being in a toxic environment will not help them at all if they are too drunk. If you can get them away from the alcohol then they have no more resources to get it on the road or street. If you are already at home, they need to get away from the party and go upstairs. Even though they can hear the music, at least they are at a greater distance away from the alcohol (and they most likely can’t walk well if they are too far gone).
Get Them to Bed. Like I said before, the best thing to give a friend is time to let the alcohol go through their system which usually means sleep. Sleeping can help them get through the rest of the alcohol without having to be awake to do it. Check on them often when you are trying to get them to sleep incase they try to escape or are in more of a danger than you first realized. When you check on them, make sure to see that they are asleep and breathing.
In the Most Serious Case: Call 911. Your friend can be angry all they want, but they can’t be angry if they are dead. If you notice anything more serious for example; breathing problems when you try to get them to sleep or if you don’t know if they are safe for any reason, call 911. They could have alcohol poisoning if they drank to much which will kill them if they are not treated.
I can never stress the importance of calling for help if you think your friend has had a dangerous amount of alcohol in their body. Usually your college will have resources for you to reach out to if you believe that someone else or yourself is too intoxicated. Please drink responsibly.