Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Girl, 15, survives near-fatal 0.57 alcohol level
SantaRosaPressDemocrat ^ | 05-07-08 | Laura Norton

Posted on 05/07/2008 11:54:17 AM PDT by KJC1

A Rohnert Park teenager nearly died of an alcohol overdose at a weekend party after she filled an empty 20-ounce Gatorade bottle with vodka and drank it straight before wandering off to a nearby park, friends said Tuesday.

The girl's blood-alcohol content was 0.578, seven times the level for drunken driving, when she was rushed by ambulance to Memorial Hospital and doctors feared she would not live through the night, Rohnert Park Police Sgt. Art Sweeney said Tuesday.

The 15-year-old girl, a freshman at Rancho Cotate High School, had a tube inserted in her throat to help with her breathing, friends said. She was kept at the hospital through Sunday and was fully recovered and back at school on Monday, doing fine and showing off a hospital bracelet, said friend Gabriel Gomez.

Medical professionals said the amount of alcohol in her blood could have been lethal.

"She's lucky that her friends got to her when they did," said Memorial Hospital emergency room doctor Josh Kucker. "It's tough to say what could have happened if she had come in two minutes later."

(Excerpt) Read more at pressdemocrat.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ifshecanican
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-137 next last
To: SF Republican; L98Fiero
When in Nuke School my buddy and I decided to see just how drunk we could get in a single liberty. Between the two of us we killed a 750ml bottle of Bacardi 151 Rum � and damned near killed ourselves. I'll spare you the ugly details; whatever horrors you are imagining, the reality was worse.

No rum for me since then (1985)...

B-chan
Former MM3
USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65)

GONAVY

81 posted on 05/07/2008 1:35:14 PM PDT by B-Chan (Catholic. Monarchist. Texan. Any questions?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: super7man
It has been 35yrs. and the smell of Bourbon still makes me queezy.

Had the same experience with Scotch... it's been 37. ;)

82 posted on 05/07/2008 1:35:22 PM PDT by johnny7
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: calex59
A guy I was in the Army with, in Germany, died of Alcohol poisoning by drinking a little to much beer! Alright a whole lot to much. The fact is a lot of people don’t know you can die from drinking to much.

You have to drink an awful lot over a relatively short period of time, and keep it down.

Also if you drink regularly, you build up a tolerance.

It is very hard for most people to drink themselves to death on beer, because they usually throw up because of the quantity of fluid. Although it is possible to even drink yourself to death on water since your body can only process the fluid so fast.

Drinking yourself to death on strait vodka is much more likely to occur, but it's awfully unusual for a teenager to drink that much without direct peer pressure being involved. I'm awfully suspicious her being found alone next door. If she was alone, it sounds like some of her friends left her there after encouraging her to chug the vodka.

Now in Germany the alcohol content of the beer was likely higher, but I'm guessing it was probably a guy that rarely drank, didn't have much tolerance, and had his fellow soldiers applying what they thought was a little harmless peer pressure.

83 posted on 05/07/2008 1:36:01 PM PDT by untrained skeptic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: KJC1

High school freshman?

Her parents must be proud.


84 posted on 05/07/2008 1:36:44 PM PDT by ladyjane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mmichaels1970; ClearCase_guy

We called the same concoction “Purple Jesus” at my school — it was mixed with undiluted Hi-C grape syrup to mask the horrible taste.

That’s another story I’d just as soon forget.


85 posted on 05/07/2008 1:38:44 PM PDT by B-Chan (Catholic. Monarchist. Texan. Any questions?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: SF Republican

Tequila is God’s way of telling you he wants you to be happy and bump into stuff


86 posted on 05/07/2008 1:43:32 PM PDT by vikzilla
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

She has quite a future ahead of her.


87 posted on 05/07/2008 1:45:01 PM PDT by rednesss (Fred Thompson - 2008)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: B-Chan

“I’ll spare you the ugly details; whatever horrors you are imagining, the reality was worse.”

As a former squid, I can only imagine. :)


88 posted on 05/07/2008 1:46:00 PM PDT by L98Fiero (A fool who'll waste his life, God rest his guts.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 81 | View Replies]

To: SF Republican
When a college freshman I did about 10 tequila shots in 10 minutes; was horizontal for 3 days and couldn’t drink a margarita for 15 years.

LOL! My bad college experience was with vodka and Miller Genuine Draft. Even a sip of Miller Genuine Draft made me feel nauseous for years after that.

Twenty years later, I'm no longer 150 lbs, and a year ago I could have chugged 10 shots in 10 minutes and have been fine. Not sober enough to drive by any means, but not stumbling around either.

However, my drinking was getting a bit out of hand last year, and after a combination of drinking (though really not that much at the time), and catching something, I ended up in the hospital for 5 days. I couldn't keep fluids in me and got so dehydrated that even after they put the first two liters of fluids in me I still didn't need to use the bathroom. My stay in the hospital was made longer than it would have been by me catching pneumonia while I was in there.

They never did identify what bug I had, and my doctor suspected that alcohol might have been a factor in me being so sick, so on his advice I haven't touched alcohol in over 6 months.

He also sent me to some specialists, none of which have though alcohol played a significant role in my illness, but I was drinking way too much anyway, and it never hurts to take a break.

If I tried drinking 10 shots in 10 minutes now, I'd likely be sick and ready to pass out. I might even get a hangover. I haven't had much of a hangover in a decade.

89 posted on 05/07/2008 1:51:21 PM PDT by untrained skeptic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: vpintheak

Two buddies and myself one night started beer bonging, went through the first case in short order, went and got another, and another..... the next day I counted all the empties multiplied by 12 ounces, divided by 128 and came out to 10.5 gallons or so. Moral of the story, you only rent beer. My kidneys haven’t forgiven me for that yet.


90 posted on 05/07/2008 1:52:03 PM PDT by rednesss (Fred Thompson - 2008)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: BlueNgold

Your right! Rancho Cotate is a party school. My kid went there. Kids can get alchol from friends’s older brothers or they get fake id’s. I talked to my son about this and he said that it would be very easy for him to get alchol even now. (he is 19)


91 posted on 05/07/2008 1:53:56 PM PDT by Pattie (Reagan is the MAN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: TheWasteLand

(I don’t get hangovers)

You just haven’t tried hard enough.


92 posted on 05/07/2008 2:02:22 PM PDT by EEDUDE
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: arthurus; keats5; alarm rider

Alcohol wasn’t a big deal in our house while growing up. Dago red with dinner, beer, etc. So, it wasn’t a big deal when I was a teen or college student. I saw far too many 18 yr olds (who are adults, imo) completely lose it when they were away from home/at college for the first time.

My husband and I tell our 17 yr old that if she plans to ever have a beverage with alcohol, she should do it in the safety of her own home first. I mean, one glass of wine or one beer would probably get her tipsy since she’s never had any and we’d be comfortable with her having a drink at home first.

We’re not going to tell our kids to never have a beer, etc. but if they do it should be in the safe environment of their home.


93 posted on 05/07/2008 2:11:43 PM PDT by Twink
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: Moose4

“It’s tough to say what could have happened if she had come in two minutes later.”

What a bunch of crap!!!

I recoil every time I hear this garbage. This line is used too many times.

On the opposite end: “Had you brought this patient in 1 (one) (uno) minutes before, this patient would still be alive!!!”

What a bunch of Shi’ite!!!


94 posted on 05/07/2008 2:18:47 PM PDT by GatĂșn(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: pepsionice
We all learned early on...after bringing a drunk back to the barracks...to put them on the bed belly first and the head turned....to make sure they didn’t puke themselves to death.

That was decent of you. They let me sleep it off on the sidewalk in Ft Sill. Do you have any idea how drunk you have to be to be sleeping very comfortably on a sidewalk and then have your platoon sergeant trying to wake you up with a boot nudge? I do. Didn't even have a hangover next morning.

95 posted on 05/07/2008 2:26:44 PM PDT by Centurion2000 (Party ahead of principles; eventually you'll be selling out anything to anyone for the right price.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: johnny7

Got sick on Alabama Slammers many years ago. Haven’t had anything but beer since then :) Also got sick on wine (Lambrusco or something). It was cheap, we were at the shore, went to a water slide and not only do I don’t do water slides but I don’t do wine either.

I don’t like the smell of anything alcoholic but beer. And, it’s Light Beer now. Aging sucks.


96 posted on 05/07/2008 2:40:06 PM PDT by Twink
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 82 | View Replies]

To: Twink
100% agree. I too was allowed to drink at about 17 by my parents but they had ground rules and made sure I was responsible when it came to drinking. As a junior and senior in HS I really didn't have a curfew (on the weekends) but I had to let my parents know if I was not coming home before 1:00AM. Anyway I turned out just fine because my parents had instilled a set of values and responsibility in me.

They funny thing was one of my best friends in HS, who ended up being my college roommate, was sheltered by his parents in HS. He wasn't allowed out past 11:00pm and if they ever found out he had a drink he was going to have his car taken away and they would take him off the HS Baseball team. Anyway he goes to college and basically turns into a lush and started screwing around with drugs, and screwed up a good 10 years of his life.

Moral of the story: Teach a kid values and responsibility and chances are they will become an adult. Baby a kid, and chances are they will stay a kid.

97 posted on 05/07/2008 2:50:22 PM PDT by A Texan (Oderint dum metuant)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 93 | View Replies]

To: Hildy

In my state of Ohio, parents can legally offer their underage children alcohol in the privacy of their own homes. This differs from state to state. Here’s a source for that.

http://swc.osu.edu/article.asp?section=alcoholeducation&id=12&type=7

Having said hat, of course I would never offer alcohol to underage kids who were not my own, nor to any of my own who showed alcoholic tendencies. We’re just talking about a glass of wine once a year, or maybe an occasion sip of Dad’s wine.


98 posted on 05/07/2008 2:55:31 PM PDT by keats5 (tolerance of intolerant people is cultural suicide)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: A Texan

Yep, same here with the ground rules when I was that age. I think that’s what is so important - instilling the values and accountability and responsibility.

I was allowed to have dago red from at least 10 or earlier at the dinner table. Heck, it was a half Italian family and my own mom made the stuff. It tasted awful to me so I didn’t partake for years.

I really didn’t have a curfew until the night I came home at about 2am. lol. Then I had a curfew ;) Since I was always the driver/access to a car, curfew was midnight but that one time someone else was driving. No cell phones then to tell my parents why I was so late, etc. Lost car privileges for a month until they realized I was more responsible when I was the one driving due to the cinderella license. I was 17 and understood the worry they were going through, me not being home, no way to contact me, etc. It’s one the the easier things with my teens now - we just call the cell and say WTH are you and why aren’t you home, etc. The two teens really don’t have a curfew as long as we know where they are and the oldest isn’t driving.

I agree with everything you posted but especially the last two sentences. Of course I consider my kids, no matter their age, my babies but they are not babies (at least the two teens aren’t). I have a junior and soph in high school and they are held accountable for their actions and it’s different than the 12 and 10 yr old, of course.

I will never forget the girls in my dorm, friends, who really thought it was our responsibility to parent them, make sure they didn’t get too drunk, didn’t hook up, etc. It was something new to me because all my friends in the neighborhood, high school, it wasn’t like that. Sure, we looked out for each other, went to the ladies room together at a club and all that, but it was so different in college. Some really expected another friend to take over as parent. There’s only so much a peer can do. One night, I had to drag a *friend* out of a frat house party. And she was so ticked at me. Then mad at me because I *let* her drink so much. Couldn’t win. Anyway, as I’m dragging her out after swearing I wouldn’t do it and leaving and going back, one of the brothers (social chair) helped me walk her home. She was vicious (drunk so it was probably that) and the brother asked why I bothered and I said it was because I couldn’t just leave her no matter how angry she was at me. I learned a lesson, don’t go out with that one again since I’d end up being her mommy.

For my 16th bd party, my Dad got me two cases of beer and all the girls slept over. For my high school grad party (huge party), he had one of my guy friends (big guy) be the bouncer for the keg to limit the teens. Can’t do that today.

I hope this post made sense to you :)


99 posted on 05/07/2008 3:46:32 PM PDT by Twink
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 97 | View Replies]

To: keats5

Our nanny government will put you in jail if you dare to give your child alcohol in any amount. The wrath of government will descend on you with LEO, CPS, and anyone else they can think of.

Parents used to teach their children to drink, everyone I knew when growing up was allowed to drink at home under parental supervision and I don’t remember one incident of anyone getting alcohol poisoning then either.

My parents once even planned a New Years Eve party for teens, with alcohol being served. My parents made sure every parent knew there would be booze there, and the rule was no one could leave until the next afternoon. Local LEO knew about it and told my parents it was a wonderful idea because it would keep us all off the road and supervised. If anyone dared do that now they would be put in jail and the key thrown away, they would also likely be fined and sued to the point they would be destitute.

Our government at some point decided not to allow parents the freedom to raise their children as they see fit; this is just one example.


100 posted on 05/07/2008 4:02:29 PM PDT by Tammy8 (Please Support and pray for our Troops, as they serve us every day.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-137 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson