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The individual:
· Is unable to stand or walk, or can do so only with difficulty
· Is breathing slow (10 or less per minute) and shallow breaths
· Is passed out or stuporous
· Has fever or chills
· Has difficulty speaking
· Has an injury
· Is paranoid, confused, or disoriented
· Is violent or threatening
· Appears to be a risk to him/herself or others
· Appears to be dehydrated, with a bluish tint to the lips and fingernails
Call for Police or Medical Help When:
· You are in doubt about what to do
· You need transportation to medical facilities
· The person you are assisting is rowdy or too unruly to handle
· The person refuses assistance and appears likely to harm him/herself or others
· The person has been using other drugs
· The person attempts to drive
When You Call for Help:
· Identify yourself
· State that you have a problem with someone who has been drinking excessively
· Give your specific location
For the Immediate Care of an Intoxicated Person:
| WHAT TO DO
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WHAT NOT TO DO
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| Stay calm. Assess the situation.
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DO NOT let your anxiety transfer to the individual in trouble.
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Keep your distance.
Before approaching or touching the person, explain what you intend to do.
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DO NOT try to walk, run, exercise the drunk person, or try to keep the person awake; DO NOT permit the person to drive.
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| Speak in a clear, firm, reassuring manner.
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DO NOT administer anything orally - food, liquid or drug - to sober the person up. THE ONLY THING THAT WILL
SOBER A DRUNK PERSON IS TIME.
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| Keep the person still and comfortable.
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DO NOT give the person a cold shower. The shock may cause him/her to pass out and sustain an injury.
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| Stay with the intoxicated person who is vomiting. Lay the person on his/her side. KEEP THE PERSON FROM SWALLOWING VOMIT.
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DO NOT attempt to constrain the person without sober assistance.
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| Monitor the person's breathing. If they are breathing less than ten breathes per minute, DO NOT LEAVE THEM.
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DO NOT laugh, ridicule, provoke, anger, or threaten the individual.
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