Alcohol and safety

Binge drinking

Drinking 5 or more alcoholic beverages on one occasion is considered binge drinking. It can lead to risky decisions, injuries, alcohol poisoning and other negative health effects.^1,2

Alcohol poisoning

Alcohol poisoning is the result of having too much alcohol in your body, and it can be fatal.³

Some of the signs that a person has alcohol poisoning⁴:

confusion and altered level of consciousness (stupor)
inability to wake someone up or keep them awake
throwing up (vomiting) while asleep, which can lead to choking
clammy skin and/or hypothermia
slow heart rate
difficulty breathing or respiratory arrest (when someone stops breathing completely)
seizures
coma

If you find someone with any of the signs of alcohol poisoning:

Call 911 immediately and get help. Stay with the person until help arrives.
Put them in the recovery position (see image below).

Lay the person on their side, with one arm under their head, and the head tilted down a little. If the person throws up (vomits), they don’t choke on it.
Use the person’s top arm and top leg for support by placing them on the floor or bed.

Mixing alcohol with other substances

Mixing alcohol and other substances should be avoided as it can increase the risks for serious health complications and side effects.⁴

Alcohol and depressants

Mixing alcohol with other substances that have depressant or sedative effects such as opioids (Dilaudid®, morphine, fentanyl), benzodiazepines (Ativan®, Valium®, Clonazepam), or cannabis can cause an increase in the effects of all substances and lead to increased intoxication and a higher risk for drug or alcohol poisoning and death.

Alcohol and stimulants

Mixing alcohol with other substances that have stimulant effects such as caffeine/energy drinks, cocaine, amphetamines (Adderall®, Vyvanse®) or methamphetamines can mask the effects of the alcohol and lead to over-consumption of alcohol. This increases the risk for alcohol poisoning, health complications, and death.

Paradis, C., Butt, P., Shield, K., Poole, N., Wells, S., Naimi, T., Sherk, A., & the Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines Scientific Expert Panels. (2023). Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health: Final Report. Ottawa, Ont.: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. https://ccsa.ca/sites/default/files/2023-01/CCSA_Canadas_Guidance_on_Alcohol_and_Health_Final_Report_en.pdf
Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA). (2019). Alcohol (Canadian drug summary). https://www.ccsa.ca/alcohol-canadian-drug-summary
Health Canada. (2021, July 5). About alcohol. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/alcohol/about.html
Health Canada. (2021, November 2). Health risks of alcohol. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/alcohol/health-risks.html

This item was last modified on September 19, 2024