The Best Ways to Help Someone Who's Had Too Much to Drink

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Look after your friend after a night of heavy drinking

Co-authored by Denise Brady and Jennifer Mueller, JD

Last Updated: March 21, 2024 Fact Checked

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Keeping Them Safe

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Helping Them Sleep It Off

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Sobering Them Up

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

If you're around drinking, chances are there will come a time when you need to take care of someone who's had a little too much. If the person shows signs of alcohol poisoning, get them immediate medical attention. But otherwise, only time can sober them up. Read on to find out what you can do to ensure the person is safe and as comfortable as possible while they ride out the effects of alcohol.

Caring for Someone Who's Drunk

Find out what and how much the person has had to drink, then take them to a safe place if they aren't showing signs of alcohol poisoning.
Lay the person on their side with pillows in front and behind them so they don't roll over. Monitor their breathing while they sleep.
If the person is awake, give them water and a light meal of bland food, unless they are nauseous or vomiting. Don't give them any other substances to sober them up.

Section 1 of 3:

Keeping Them Safe

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1
Ask them how much they've had to drink. Even though every person has a different tolerance, knowing what they've had to drink, and how much, over how long, can help you get a general idea of how drunk they might be. You also want to find out if they've taken any other substances, as well as when they last ate. This is also good information to have if you end up needing to speak to paramedics or other medical personnel.^{[1]
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- For example, you might say, "How are you feeling? Do you know how much you've had to drink? When did you last eat anything?"
- If they're incoherent and unable to understand you, they could have alcohol poisoning. Get them to a hospital as soon as you can. If you've also been drinking, call an ambulance or have a trustworthy sober person drive them.
- Keep in mind that if someone claims they've only had 1 or 2 drinks but they seem extremely intoxicated, they might have been drugged without their knowledge. Get them to a hospital immediately.
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Explain your intentions before you touch or approach them. A drunk person might be confused or disoriented and not understand what you're trying to do. They could become combative or belligerent if they feel like you're trying to harm them, so let them know that you're there to help. Respect their autonomy and don't touch them or try to move them unless they tell you it's okay. If they're completely unresponsive to anything you say, seek immediate medical assistance.^{[2]
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- For example, you might say, "Hey, are you all right? I just wanted to check on you. Is it okay if I sit here and put my arm around you?"
- If they're hugging the toilet and appear to be having trouble, you might say something like, "Hey, I'm right here if you need anything. Let me help you keep your hair out of the way."
- If they're passed out, try to wake them up by calling out to them. For example, you could shout something like, "Hey! Are you okay?" Don't push on them or shake them without their consent.
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Check for signs of alcohol poisoning. When someone has alcohol poisoning, life-supporting areas of their brain can shut down. Alcohol poisoning can be fatal if it's not treated quickly and correctly. Get immediate medical help if you notice any of the following:^{[3]
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- confusion or disorientation
- lack of coordination or inability to walk
- vomiting or nausea
- slow breathing (fewer than 8 breaths per minute)
- slow heart rate
- cold, clammy skin that's pale or bluish
- low body temperature or chills
- seizures
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Take them to a place where they can't hurt themselves or others. If you know the person, you might try to get them home (or take them home with you). If you're out in public and you don't know the person, try to find someone who knows them and is willing to take responsibility for getting them someplace safe. In the meantime, try to move them out of the way to a quiet area where they won't bother anybody.^{[4]
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- If the person is reasonably alert and responsive, you might ask them where they would feel most comfortable and safe and make arrangements to get them there.
- Don't drive if you've been drinking, and never let a drunk person drive. Call a cab or use a ride-sharing app to help get them home safely.
- If you're at a restaurant or bar and don't know the drunk person, alert the staff that the person may need assistance. Then, stay with the person until you're confident that they're being taken care of.

Section 2 of 3:

Helping Them Sleep It Off

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1
Have the person lay on their side. If the person is ready to go to sleep, lay them down on their side to keep their airway clear and open. This is called the "recovery position" and ensures they get relatively restful sleep without the risk of choking on their own vomit if they get sick. Place a pillow in front of them and one behind their back to keep them from rolling over onto their stomach or back.^{[5]
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- If the person has any symptoms of alcohol poisoning, do what you can to keep them awake until medical help arrives. Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with letting the person go to sleep.
- Sleeping it off can give the person's body the time it needs to process the alcohol and remove it from their bloodstream.
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Keep them warm with a blanket. Alcohol lowers your body temperature, so even if you're in a relatively warm place a drunk person might be cold. Give them a blanket or some kind of cover so they can warm up and make sure there isn't any cold air blowing directly on them.^{[6]
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- If they kick the blanket off or insist they don't want it, don't force it on them. Just watch for signs that they're starting to feel chilly.
3
Monitor the person while they're sleeping. Even if the person doesn't have alcohol poisoning when they fall asleep, they could develop it while they're sleeping as their body continues to process alcohol. The main thing to look out for is their breathing—if it becomes irregular or drops to fewer than 8 breaths per minute, call an ambulance.^{[7]
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- You don't necessarily have to stay in the same room with the person. But at least leave their door open so other people will hear any signs of distress.
- If there are other people in the house where they're sleeping, you might take turns monitoring the person so the rest of you can get at least some rest.
- Never let a drunk person watch another drunk person. If you've been drinking, it's a good idea to get someone sober to help you monitor.
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Watch for other signs of alcohol poisoning to develop. Remember the acronym "MUST HELP." If the person exhibits more than 3 of these signs, call an ambulance immediately so they can get medical help:^{[8]
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- Mental confusion
- Unresponsive
- Snoring or gasping for air
- Throwing up
- Hypothermia
- Erratic breathing
- Loss of consciousness
- Pale or bluish skin

Section 3 of 3:

Sobering Them Up

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1
Stop them from drinking any more alcohol. If the person is already very drunk, any more alcohol will put them at an even greater risk of alcohol poisoning. It also means that it will just take them that much longer to sober up.^{[9]
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- Try to be direct and simply refuse to give them any more alcohol. For example, you might say, "Listen, I think you've had too much and I'm a little worried. Why don't you call it a night?"
- If they start to get belligerent, try to avoid conflict by distracting them. For example, you could give them a non-alcoholic drink or put on a song or movie that you know they like.
- If you can't get them to listen to you, lean on anyone else nearby to help you out. Together, you can hopefully get them to stop drinking.
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Give them a glass of water. As long as they're relatively alert and not nauseous, drinking water can help dilute the concentration of alcohol in their bloodstream so they'll sober up somewhat quicker. It also hydrates them to counter the dehydrating effects of alcohol so they might not feel quite as terrible the next day.^{[10]
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- If you have access to them, a sports beverage, such as Gatorade or Powerade, will help replace the sodium and other electrolytes that their body depleted while they were drinking.
3
Feed them a light meal if they aren't nauseous or vomiting. Bread, crackers, pasta, or a sandwich will go easy on their delicate stomach so they can keep the food down. The food will also help absorb the alcohol and might make them feel a little better.^{[11]
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- If they don't have much of an appetite or are resistant to an actual meal, salty snacks like peanuts or pretzels are great too—there's a reason these snacks are staples at bars and pubs.
4
Avoid giving them other substances to sober them up. Caffeine and other stimulants can have a dehydrating effect that actually slows down how quickly their body processes the alcohol and leaves them with a potentially nasty hangover. Black coffee is also fairly acidic and can irritate their stomach, causing them to vomit.^{[12]
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- If you're worried about them falling asleep, a small amount of coffee or another caffeinated beverage might be beneficial. Just make sure they're drinking an equal amount of water to balance out the dehydrating effects.
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Don't force them to vomit. Vomiting doesn't do anything to lower the amount of alcohol in the person's bloodstream. All it does is further dehydrate them so that it will take longer for their body to process and filter the alcohol out of their system.^{[13]
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- On the other hand, if they do feel the need to vomit, that's okay—that's a natural way for their body to expel any alcohol that might still be in their stomach. Just stay with them and make sure they don't fall or hurt themselves.
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Encourage them to sleep. The only thing that can truly sober up someone who's drunk is time—and for them, that time is probably best spent sleeping. But depending on how much they've had to drink, even a full night's sleep might not be enough.^{[14]
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- If the person is agitated or has previously taken other stimulants, it might take them some time to calm down enough that they can go to sleep. Creating a quiet, calming environment can help.

Expert Q&A

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Question

What do I do if they start acting differently?

Denise Brady
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Denise Brady is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Long Beach, CA. With 15 years of experience, she specializes in helping people through generational trauma and uses Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to assist clients in reprocessing traumatic experiences and memories. Denise is the owner of 'In the Meantime Breathe Family Counseling Services' and offers services in both California and Texas, including virtual and in-person therapy sessions. She also offers workshops, including ‘Embracing Empathy and Validation’ and ‘Preventing Parent Burnout’. Denise has previous experience working with the Department of Children Family Services (DCFS) and her practice is trusted and verified by Therapy for Black Girls and Psychology Today. She received her Masters in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University in Los Angeles.

Denise Brady

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Expert Answer

If they start acting like a different person, the first thing that you can do is to be calm and focus on your safety. Alcohol can lower inhibitions and cause people to act out of character, sometimes becoming too emotional, aggressive, or unpredictable. Try to gently guide them away from any risky situations without escalating things. Remember that your goal isn’t to argue or reason with them in that moment—they may not be fully aware of how they’re acting. Keep your tone calm and reassuring, and focus on getting them to a safer environment if needed. It can also be helpful to involve your other friends for support or to call someone they trust if their behavior becomes too difficult to manage. Once they sober up, it might be helpful to have a conversation about what happened. They may not remember everything, so approach it with empathy and avoid being judgmental. You could say, “You were acting really differently last night, and I just want to check in with you.” This can help you understand if there’s anything deeper going on, like stress or personal issues, and let them know you care without making them feel attacked.

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Tips

The most important thing to do when someone is drunk is to simply stay with them and be there with them. If they're okay with it, patting or rubbing their back might bring them some comfort.

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Warnings

Never allow someone drunk to drive or operate machinery. If a drunk person insists on driving, try taking their keys or calling the police to prevent them from injuring themselves or others.

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When in doubt, err on the side of caution and get the person emergency medical attention as quickly as possible.

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