parents please talk to your teens

Nurses General Nursing

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I just want to encourage all you parents to please talk to your teens about drinking and alcohol poisoning. I talked to my 13 yr old (yeah I know they are starting so young these days.) Saturday after I got off work I joined my family and friends out at the lake to relax after a long day. People had been out there drinking all day. Well there apparently was a 14 yr old who drank to much (3 beers, 3 shots tequila and 1/4 bottle of vodka) thru the course of the day. The people who were trying to take care of were drunk and took her into the water to try to wake her up. They basically refused to call 911 because of the alcohol. I had to step in and assess her , barely awake, vomiting, sz activity and I yelled at my husband to put her in our vehicle(couldn' t get good reception on the cell) On the way her o2 sat was 22%. He held her in the back seat and talked to her and it came up on the way and we got her safely to the hospital so they could pump her stomach. And I had only gotten there 15 minutes before. She was so close to death. Not one of the adults out there kept her from drinking and not one saw the situation emerging. ( I almost got into a fight with one drunk lady over taking her to er.) So please, please please talk to your teens about the dangers of drinking. They think its all fun and games and don't think its dangerous and just want to join in the fun. But lives are stake......

I agree 100 percent with the idea of parents talking to their teens about alcohol and excessive, or binge drinking. However, this binge drinking and driving drunk problem is not limited to high school students. I read about college students, many of whom are over 18, who binge drink, and often die as a result, despite knowing about the risks. And in my area (south Jersey) in the last couple of weeks, 2 high school students were killed by adult drunk drivers. Irresponsible drinking is a problem in this country, regardless of age, and it bothers me a lot.

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It doesn't sound like she has very good role models-except in you!

and this is an important point:

that kids do need role models.

it is going to have little meaning when a drinking/drugging parent(s) preaches the dangers of these when they are doing it themselves.

not only would it be hypocritical, but virtually ineffective.

leslie

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HOLY CRAP!!! that is so scary. Just glad you were there in time to save that drunken teenager... God Bless... Good on ya. :p

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Specializes in Adult Stem Cell/Oncology.

"Well there apparently was a 14 yr old who drank to much (3 beers, 3 shots tequila and 1/4 bottle of vodka) thru the course of the day."

She drank too much? A 14-year old shouldn't be drinking at all!!! Where were the parents? Maybe they were drunk and were cool with their CHILD drinking.....lovely!

Thankfully the original poster was there and took control of the situation.....otherwise this girl would probably be dead right now!

On a similar note, a few years ago, my brother was hazed while trying to join a fraternity, and if it wasn't for the fact that one of the members called 911, he would be dead today! He had to be airlifted to the hospital and was intubated for quite some time because he couldn't breathe on his own! So in addition to telling your kids not to drink, tell them that if they ever notice that someone has passed out from drinking, call 911.....because if you leave them to "sleep it off," chances are good they may not wake up! :(

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.......

On a similar note, a few years ago, my brother was hazed while trying to join a fraternity, and if it wasn't for the fact that one of the members called 911, he would be dead today! He had to be airlifted to the hospital and was intubated for quite some time because he couldn't breathe on his own! So in addition to telling your kids not to drink, tell them that if they ever notice that someone has passed out from drinking, call 911.....because if you leave them to "sleep it off," chances are good they may not wake up! :(

Luckily that kid had

1. the intelligence to call 911

and

2 the courage to do it. Alot of people would not do it for fear of getting in trouble them selves.

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One thing my younger classmates have told me that I passed on to my teenaged daughter is - don't leave your drink somewhere and pick it up again. Even - keep your hand over your drink.

Last week transported a 17 y.o. to the hospital, lethargic, vomiting, de-satting, - mom said her drink must have been spiked. Older sister said vodka. Either way...

My dd has had the lecture, complete with a description of the police presence at the party. What scares me just as much is the legal, over-21 binge drinking that my young classmattes tell me about.

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I know this is an old thread but i just wanted to add this.

When i was in highschool.... about grade 10 so around 16 years old i went to a party with friends from school in a rough part of town. We went all out, we predrank and rented a limo to get there. Well half way there one girl started puking her guts out in the limo and was completely hammered. By the time we arrived at the location she was completely out and we had to call an ambulance and she spent the rest of the night in a coma. Meanwhile another girl from the limo was headed in the same direction and we had to call her mom to come and get her ASAP and her mom immediately did and took her to the hospital and according to the ER docs if she had waited she would have been in a coma as well.

That wasn't the end of it though. As a result, the limo company with held various possessions of ours since we left them in the car(round trip ride) until we paid a cleaning deposit to clean the vomit from the car. We felt that since the girl who puked in the car then she should pay it well she thought differently. We never did get that money out of her and after various people attempting to call the company and even getting parents and relatives involved to go down personally to try and get our stuff back.... we did get some select possessions back but most not. I didn't get my stuff back.

The other girl who's mom took her to the hospital had to forfeit going to a banquet with a guy she liked who asked her out.

I went to public school but this stuff also happens in private schools as well. In fact where i live private schools have the most problems when it comes to drugs and alcohol. The truth is is that wealthy parents hand over their children money and what do you think the kids do with the money? They didn't 'earn' the money so they don't care that they blow it on useless things. I knew someone who's dad gave him $100 cash just because and next thing he did was went to the local tobacco store and bought the biggest bong he could find. HE didn't care because tomorrow mommy or daddy will give him whatever he snaps his fingers for so money was no issue.

I honestly do think when a kid has worked for the money they seem to take little better care of it. Although there are always going to be those kids and adults even who blow paycheck after paycheck on drugs and alcohol.

I just remembered another story from when i was in highschool. A girl went to a party the night before. Come the next day when she was still sleeping later in the afternoon her parents tried to wake her.... she never did wake up. Later they found out that cocaine was in her system.

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Specializes in Infectious Disease, Neuro, Research.
I agree that these conversations with teens are very necessary. Just curious how this all turned out.

Lucky for her that you had a portable/fingertip pulse oximeter in your car.

With her condition so compromised, I'm curious to know the ER staff's decision process to "pump her stomach."

At what point did a parent/legal guardian show up to consent for this 14-year old's treatment

Lavage. If you don't know the timeframe, and alcohol poisoning is acute (to all evidence), dropping an OG (1/2") and aspirating-in the presence of gastric sounds- is not uncommon. We pulled 1.5 quarts of Everclear out of a frat****, once.

No consent is needed, as this is acutely life-threatening.

I'm not a big hater on alcohol. It doesn't make people do anything they don't choose to do- namely imbibe. Its amazing how often we excuse our malfeasance by blaming inanimate objects/substances.

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Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.
. Not one of the adults out there kept her from drinking and not one saw the situation emerging.

This statement is very telling

Important to know who your kids are associating with ..... never be reluctant to pass judgement regarding safety issues

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