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Students on the ̾ƵPleasantville Campus

Alcohol and Drug Emergency

Signs of alcohol poisoning or overdose

  • Being unconscious, semi-conscious or disoriented
  • Skin cold and clammy
  • Pale or bluish appearance
  • Slow (fewer than 8 breaths/minute) or erratic (10 seconds or more between breaths) breathing
  • Seizures
  • Breath smells of alcohol
  • Evidence of heavy drinking (e.g. many empty alcohol containers in sight)

Signs of depressant drug overdose (e.g. heroin, morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, methadone):

  • Shallow breathing or not breathing at all
  • Snoring or gurgling sounds (this can mean that a person’s airway is partly blocked)
  • Blue lips or fingertips
  • Floppy arms and legs
  • No response to stimulus
  • Disorientation
  • Cannot be woken up, unconscious

Signs of stimulant drug overdose (e.g. speed, ice):

  • Chest pain
  • Disorientation/confusion
  • Severe headache
  • Seizures
  • High temperature (overheating, but not sweating)
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Agitation
  • Paranoia
  • Hallucinations
  • Unconsciousness
  • Increased risk of heart attack, stroke, seizure, or drug-induced psychotic episode

What to do if you suspect an alcohol and/or drug overdose

What NOT TO Do

  • Do not let them “sleep it off.”
  • Do not let them lie on their back.
  • Do not leave them alone and assume they will be fine.
  • Do not wait to get immediate medical assistance.

Worried about punishment? ̾Ƶsupports “safety first”!