Alcohol Poisoning Awareness

Shelby Allen.

Tonight i saw a presentation on something that has become a serious issue in the teenage world. It has found its way into the lives of some adults as well. The subject for tonight's blog post is Alcohol Poisoning. There is this wonderful woman by the name of Debbie Allen. She is the mother of Shelby Allen, who passed away on December 20, 2008. Shelby was a girl who simply loved life. Her motto was "Dig Life!" Her mother was so proud of her and loved her so much. Shelby had gone to a friends house for a party at approximately 12:40 am with her best friend, Alyssa, on this night. At this party, there was alcohol and parents that hadn't put a stop to this dangerous action. Shelby had a few drinks, ended up hitting her head on the toilet, and cut her lip and bruised her cheek. Her friend continued to take pictures and watch her as she lay propped up against the toilet. She was "half snoring and shaking", as her friend described. The next morning, Alyssa awoke to her friend, dead on the floor. This beautiful girl had been the victim of something that is 100% preventable. The autopsy had shown that all that was in her stomach at her time of death, was 8 oz of alcohol. (please visit her website: http://shelbysrulesfoundation.com)

However, Shelby is not the only one who has suffered from alcohol poisoning. There are many other people who have died from this fatal action. Please, if you see someone who is drinking, encourage them to stop. You just never know if you or your friend will be the unlucky one who does not wake up.

Shortly after the passing of her daughter, Debbie had come up with "Shelby's Rules". The first thing Shelby and her mother would like everyone to know, is that "Secrets Kill". Not calling 9-1-1 is basically allowing your friend to die. By keeping these things a secret, you aren't giving your friend the chance to live again. Studies have shown that 100% of the people that go into the emergency room with alcohol poisoning, and get the help they need, have come out just fine. They lived. You MUST notify someone of these things. Alcohol + Passed out(unresponsive) = 9-1-1.
Some of the symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:

• Vomiting
• Person cannot be roused
• Semi-consciousness or unconsciousness

Please do not be afraid to call. You are the difference between life and death for that person.
Also, there are some myths I would like to tell you about. Coffee is NOT a cure for a hangover. It takes time. Do NOT shower the victim. The water my be a shock to the victim and will put them in a coma and they will die. Letting them sleep it off is NOT an effective option. Again, they may slip into a coma and not wake up.

Braxton Anderson

Please educate everyone you know about this. There is nothing funny about seeing someone unconscious from the alcohol. We do not need someone to leave this earth for something like this. There is so much that I learned tonight. A lot of this was completely new to me.  I knew drinking was a problem, but I was not aware of how serious this is. Please check out The Allen's website and learn all you can about this. Who knows, maybe you can save the life of someone you know. Thank you so much for reading this. It means a lot to me. I love you all!

~This post was made in memory of Braxton Anderson, Shelby Anderson, and every other victim of alcohol poisoning. May you rest in peace.~