An alcohol emergency is a situation you can face whether or not you drink. A BAC above 0.06, what some call the "Red Zone," is where the negative effects of alcohol begin to set in. The effects range from slurred speech to death, increasing in severity as BAC increases.  You may face one of these situations:

• Alcohol Poisoning
• Drank Too Much
• Not Sure?

When you’re with someone who’s drunk, you don’t know if their condition will worsen.  Do not leave them alone.

• Their BAC may still be increasing and you have no way of telling how much alcohol is in their system.
• It can be difficult to distinguish between “had too much and needs to stop before it gets worse” and “had too much and needs help ASAP.”

How you help depends on the person’s condition and where you are. When in doubt, it is best to err on the side of caution and call for emergency assistance.

If you are in the same locality as the person in the U.S., call 911.  On campus, 911 will connect to Public Safety. Off campus in the U.S., even in the town of Princeton, 911 will connect to local (non-DPS) emergency dispatchers.  In both cases, the dispatcher will ask questions in order to determine the best emergency response for the situation. 

Public Safety does not have jurisdiction at the eating clubs located on Prospect Avenue. These buildings fall under the jurisdiction of the Princeton Police Department, who would respond to incidents in this area. The Princeton Police sometimes determine that Public Safety can provide a medical transport to UHS for an intoxicated student. Decisions about transport by ambulance or Public Safety are solely a Princeton Police determination for incidents at the eating clubs based on their assessment of the medical need.

Know what to do when in different localities from the person of concern. Outside the U.S., be sure to know ahead of time what to do in an emergency.

Alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency. A person can be so severely intoxicated that they experience physiological effects from alcohol poisoning that could be fatal and they need immediate medical attention.

Immediately call 911 or the equivalent if the person has one or more of these four symptoms (Remember to think of P-U-B-S):

P - Puking without waking up.

U - Unresponsive; you cannot wake them up by shaking them or calling their name.

B - Breathing is slow or irregular (less than 8 times per minutes or 10 seconds between breaths) or has stopped. 

S - Seizures.

While you wait for emergency responders to arrive, if you can:

• Continue efforts to wake the person
• Make sure they are lying on their side in the recovery position to prevent choking on vomit.
• Closely monitor breathing and perform CPR if breathing stops. If you don’t know CPR, find someone who does.

While these symptoms of severe intoxication may not be alcohol poisoning, they are still a cause for concern and it is best to call 911 for emergency assistance if the person has two or more of these symptoms when drinking alcohol:

• Throwing up
• Inability to maintain balance or eye contact
• Slurred speech
• Shortness of breath
• Cold and/or clammy skin

If you are with someone and you do not see the signs above that require immediate medical attention, you may see these signs of intoxication:

• They smell like alcohol
• Can’t perform normal tasks as easily as they can when sober (e.g., can’t walk a straight line, spilling drinks, or fumbling with other objects)
• More talkative or louder or softer than usual
• Unusual mood swings
• Inappropriate and out-of-character behavior 
• Text messages that include drastic misspellings or are overly emotional

In these instances, remember these important guidelines and seek medical attention if their condition worsens:

• Prevent the person from drinking more.
• Stay with the person if it is safe for you. If the individual develops the symptoms of severe intoxication as described above, Call 911.  If you need to leave, call 911 and ensure the DPS is there before you leave.
• Do not assume that they will make it home safely, if they aren't already there. The full effect of the alcohol may not have hit yet.
• An unconscious person may not be sleeping; they may be suffering from alcohol poisoning. If they are lying down, if you can, put them in the recovery position. Call 911.
• If someone is stumbling or can’t walk on their own, walking them or carrying them somewhere increases the risk of injury for you and the person. Keep them in one place and call 911.
• If the person can walk on their own, you can walk with them to McCosh Health Center.

Remember that university policy and New Jersey State Law encourages calling for help when someone's had too much:

• You are obligated to call for help for a severely intoxicated person and will not be disciplined by the University for doing so.
• Neither intoxication nor admission to UHS or the Emergency Department for intoxication are grounds for University disciplinary action.
• In New Jersey, the Overdose Prevention Act and Lifeline Legislation provide some protections from civil and criminal liability for seeking medical attention for an overdose including for an underage person reporting an alcohol overdose.  Students living in other states or countries should familiarize themselves with local laws.

If you are in a different locality from the person you are trying to help, the fastest response would happen if you look up the local law enforcement agency where the person is and call their regular number.  If you do not know where the person is, then call Public Safety and they may be able to assist you.

Outside the U.S., be sure to know ahead of time what to do in an emergency.

Bookmark the Princeton UMatter Now mobile website on your phone's home screen for easy, on-the-spot access.

UMatterNow has great information about alcohol, as well as mental distress and unwanted sexual encounters, that can help you intervene quickly and safely, including getting medical attention or stopping someone from drinking more.