Another College Student Dies

Bennett Bertoli was found dead Saturday morning, December 10, 2004,  in this house on South Shields Street in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Police said there’s no evidence he took part in drinking games before he died.  His blood alcohol was 0.124, which is impaired but not close to the 0.30 level which can be fatal.

(previous posts: Alcohol overdose: timelines, and what to do with a potential victim; start of series: Lists of Kids Dying on Campus from  Alcohol Poisoning, 2004; what you can do to change the underage drinking climate in your community; Patrick McCann's death in a drug dealing house; two sources of help: T-Dub.org, T DuB is an organization that deals with getting the message out about alcohol poisoning to teens and young adults.    B.R.A.D. is: Be Responsible About Drinking, Inc) More Alcohol Deaths;  Alcohol and Its Effects: Education for College Students; List of Children who Have Died of Alcohol/Drug PoisoningNo One Is Keeping Track of Alcohol Deaths.)

According to University of Colorado-Boulder Wardenburg Health Center's lead physician Tom Kunstman, alcohol poisoning deaths for college students are becoming more and more of a problem.  "There's at least six (this year) but there's no place that's actually keeping data on alcohol deaths,"  According to Kunstman, one reason is that the "norm" has become much higher than it was a generation ago, pointing out quaffing rituals such as drinking 21 shots on one's 21st birthday..

(previous posts: Alcohol overdose: timelines, and what to do with a potential victim; start of series: Lists of Kids Dying on Campus from  Alcohol Poisoning, 2004; what you can do to change the underage drinking climate in your community; Patrick McCann's death in a drug dealing house; two sources of help: T-Dub.org, T DuB is an organization that deals with getting the message out about alcohol poisoning to teens and young adults.    B.R.A.D. is: Be Responsible About Drinking, Inc)

Expert: CSU student was drunk; other factors likely involved--Alcohol's role eyed in death

Fort Collins - A Colorado State University student found dead on a couch Saturday morning was legally drunk but probably didn't die from drinking too much, an alcohol expert said Monday.

Bennett Nicholas Bertoli, 20, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.124, according to the Larimer County coroner. Colorado's legal threshold for drunken driving is 0.08.  Police are investigating Bertoli's death, which follows four alcohol-related fatalities of Colorado college students this semester.

Bertoli's blood-alcohol level indicates he would have had problems with judgment, said Paul Gruenewald, a senior research scientist at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation at Berkeley, Calif.  "It basically affects your ability to react to dangerous events," Gruenewald said, noting that a coma-inducing blood-alcohol level is 0.30.  Still, a variety of factors may have played a role in Bertoli's death, including his susceptibility to alcohol, his weight and whether he consumed drugs, Gruenewald said. "For any individual, it's really hard to predict how alcohol will affect them," he said.

A complete toxicology report won't be available for several weeks, according to the coroner's office.

Bertoli's death came three months after the death of CSU sophomore Samantha Spady. The 19-year-old was found dead Sept. 5 with a blood-alcohol level of 0.436. She consumed roughly 30 to 40 drinks during a whirl-wind night of partying.

Her death, along with the drinking fatality of a University of Colorado freshman, generated calls for greater efforts to stop students from binge drinking and prompted the formation of an alcohol task force at CSU. Its recommendations are even more important now, said Fort Collins Police Chief Dennis Harrison.  "This loudly screams on why we need to move forward with this issue," said Harrison, a task force member.

Besides the level of intoxication, the circumstances of Bertoli's death differs from Spady's in other ways, said Fort Collins police spokeswoman Rita Davis.  So far, there is no indication Bertoli was involved in any drinking games nor is there evidence that he hit a party circuit before he died, Davis said. The investigation into Spady's death revealed that she had attended several parties the night she died. Nineteen citations were issued for a variety of alcohol violations, including underage drinking and providing alcohol to underage drinkers.  "We're not sure any charges will be filed in (Bertoli's) case," Davis said.

Bertoli, a 2002 Mullen High School graduate, had brushes with the law related to underage drinking and driving while impaired. Bertoli's neighbor since late summer, Patrick Garcia, said Bertoli was always quiet and respectful. Bertoli sometimes had friends over to his apartment but there were never any problems, Garcia said.

"He was just pretty studious," Garcia said. When Bertoli's friend turned 21, everyone wanted to go out and celebrate, but Bertoli decided to stay in for the night and study, Garcia said. Student volunteers, CSU officials and members of the school's Greek system plan to canvass the campus and Fort Collins neighborhoods Wednesday with information about the dangers of over-drinking.

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In all cases, my deepest condolences to family and friends.

Underage Alcohol Deaths 2004
Underage Alcohol Deaths 2005
Underage Alcohol Deaths 2006

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing, the heartbeat and the gag reflex that prevents choking. A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions. After the victim stops drinking, the heart keeps beating, and the alcohol in the stomach continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate through the system. The victim may experience the following:

• Mental confusion, stupor, coma, unable to rouse the person
• No response to pinching the skin
• Vomiting while sleeping or unresponsive
• Seizures
• Slowed breathing  (fewer than 8 breaths per minute)
• Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
• Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness

Alcohol Poisoning Requires Immediate Medical Attention

Alcohol Poisoning Cannot Be Reversed By:

• Drinking black coffee
• Taking a cold bath or shower
• Walking it off

The victim must have immediate medical attention.
Call 911, stay with the victim to prevent him choking on vomit, and tell emergency personnel how much alcohol the victim drank.

These Children Died of Alcohol Overdose, So Their Parents Started Foundations:

Taylor Webster's memorial foundation.  Taylor died of alcohol  poisoning at age 19-- Now his family and friends are working  to get the message out, telling their stories and providing  information on alcohol poisoning and the signs and symtoms  of alcohol poisoning in hopes that lives will be saved.

Bradley McCue's memorial foundation.  On November 5, 1998  Bradley turned 21. . He celebrated  his birthday in a way that has become increasingly popular, drinking "his  age in shots". That amount of alcohol was lethal and he died  that night of alcohol poisoning.

Samantha Spady's memorial foundation. A 19-year old student at Colorado State University, Spady died of alcohol poisoning on September 5, 2004, "an unintentional tragedy."  The Spadys say the SAM [Student Alcohol Management] Spady Foundation will develop peer-to-peer counseling and other services meant to reduce the risk of alcohol abuse.

Gordie Bailey's memorial foundation Mission: to provide today’s youth with the skills to navigate the dangers of alcohol, and through education and promotion of self worth prevent alcohol poisoning, binge drinking and hazing. 

Kimberly Ostien's memorial foundation: "With binge drinking on the rise, we feel it necessary to get the message out on the danger of alcohol, especially excessive alcohol consumed in a short period of time.  Students are educated on drugs and alcohol but they will continue to experiment no matter what.  We want to educate on what to do when a friend falls down or passes out from drinking.  Often we want to put that person to bed to sleep it off and that is when the trouble can begin."  The card lists the information, above.

Comments

[Brooke]

To whom it may concern. In sake of Bennet, I think it is completely irrelevent to state his past occurences with the law. Out of respect for the Bertoli's, I think that if you have to write anything, leave the personal entities out......!

[liz]

Dear Brook, and also the Bertoli family: First, let me offer my condolences. It is a terrible thing to lose a friend and a child.

Hiding the child's drug and alcohol problems, however, is not the right thing to do. It is relevant that Bennet had had previous encounters with authorities for being under the influence of marijuana and alcohol, and being in possession. This began more than two years ago.

Colorado Bureau of Investigation records and Court records show that in September 2002, campus police ticketed Bertoli for underage alcohol possession and obstructing a peace officer. Both charges were later dismissed.

Later that month, Bertoli was ticketed for driving under the influence and possession of marijuana. And as recently as last month, Bertoli was arrested for theft and underage alcohol possession.

Those facts were widely reported. The repetitive nature of the police contacts indicate that Bertoli's use was not controlled and was perhaps addictive in nature.

[Brooke]

It is no ones business, like all of the other cold-hearted people out there, maybe you all should re-evaluate what is right and what is not..........