Relationship Between College Student Intoxication Level and Their Recall of Alcohol Poisoning Symptoms

When trying to prevent deaths from alcohol overdose, potentially intoxicated companions of the inebriated person must know when to intervene. The current project examined the relation between intoxication level and the signs of alcohol poisoning. In a local bar district, interviewers asked college students (N = 178; 52x% female students) to generate signs that someone was so intoxicated that they needed help. On average, intoxicated and sober students recalled one correct symptom and one incorrect symptom. The most common symptoms generated by the students were nonspecific (e. g., passing out). The number of correct and incorrect symptoms were not related to intoxication level. In addition, students tended to generate ambiguous concepts that may or may not be symptoms of alcohol poisoning.