Alcohol poisoning

3 imperatives to transform health care in America. You're invited to watch it live

Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

A number of factors can increase your risk of alcohol poisoning, including:

  • Your age. Young teens and college students may be more likely to binge drink, yet contrary to popular belief, the majority of deaths from alcohol poisoning occur in people ages 35 to 54. As you get older, you may not metabolize alcohol as quickly as you once did.
  • Your sex. Boys and men are more likely to have alcohol poisoning than girls and women are. But, women and girls aren't exempt from alcohol poisoning. In fact, drink for drink, women are more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol because they produce less of an enzyme that slows the release of alcohol in the stomach.
  • Your size and weight. The smaller and thinner your build, the more quickly your body absorbs alcohol, making you more susceptible to alcohol poisoning. A small child can get a lethal dose of alcohol just from drinking mouthwash.
  • Your overall health. Having health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes, makes you more vulnerable to the damaging effects of alcohol. People with diabetes may experience dangerously low blood sugar levels while drinking and for up to 12 hours after they stop drinking. Don't hesitate to call for help if you have a friend or loved one with diabetes who passes out after drinking. Although they may not have alcohol poisoning per se, this can still be a life-threatening situation. When paramedics arrive, let them know immediately that the person has diabetes.
  • Your food consumption. Having food in your stomach slightly slows — but doesn't prevent — alcohol from entering your bloodstream.
  • Your drug use. Combining alcohol with other drugs — including some prescription medications — greatly increases your risk of a fatal alcohol overdose.
  • The type of alcohol you're drinking. It takes about one hour for your liver to process (metabolize) the alcohol in 12 ounces (355 milliliters) of beer, 5 ounces (148 milliliters) of wine or 1.5 ounce (44 milliliters) of 80-proof distilled spirits. So, if you have 15 ounces (444 milliliters) of an 80-proof liquor, your body will need much longer to process that amount of alcohol than if you'd had 15 ounces of beer. You may also underestimate how much alcohol is in a mixed drink.
  • Your tolerance level. People who drink regularly may develop more tolerance to alcohol. Although someone with a high tolerance for alcohol may need more alcohol to get alcohol poisoning, they're still susceptible to the alcohol poisoning and its dangerous complications.
  • The rate of alcohol consumption. The faster you drink, the more likely you are to develop alcohol poisoning. Even if you stop drinking, if you've quickly consumed several drinks, your alcohol levels will still continue to rise.
Complications Causes
References
  1. Alcohol. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Health Care Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec15/ch198/ch198g.html#. Accessed Sept. 16, 2010.
  2. Facts about alcohol poisoning. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/otheralcoholinformation/FactsAboutAlcoholPoisoning.pdf. Accessed Sept. 16, 2010.
  3. Cowan E, et al. Ethanol intoxication in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 14, 2010.
  4. Morgan DL, et al. Poisoning. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Emergency Medicine. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3114171. Accessed Sept. 14, 2010.
  5. Williams SR. Ethanol. In: Olson KR. Poisoning & Drug Overdose. 5th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2683871. Accessed Sept. 14, 2010.
  6. Young-Hee Y, et al. Accidental alcohol poisoning mortality. National Institute on Alcohol Dependency. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-1/110-120.htm. Accessed Sept. 16, 2010.
  7. Vonghia L, et al. Acute alcohol intoxication. European Journal of Internal Medicine. 2008;19:561.
  8. Alcohol. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/alcohol.html. Accessed Sept. 16, 2010.
  9. Kraut JA, et al. Toxic alcohol ingestions: Clinical features, diagnosis, and management. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 2008;3:208.
  10. Alcohol poisoning. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. http://www.nhtsa.gov/PEOPLE/outreach/SafeSobr/15qp/web/idalc.html. Accessed Sept. 16, 2010.
  11. Alcohol alert: Young adult drinking. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa68/aa68.htm. Accessed Sept. 14, 2010.
  12. Anderson CF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 17, 2010.
DS00861 Dec. 10, 2010

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger