Brandon Booker, 17, Alcohol Poisoning

The night of June 24, 2007, Brandon Brooker went to two parties (possibly high school graduation parties), in and around the town of LaSalle, Illinois.  He  had acquired a bottle of Everclear, which he drank neat, together with a quantity of beer.  His friends put him to bed when he became too intoxicated to stand, and he was unresponsive when found the next morning.   He died on the way to the hospital.

As always, my condolences to his family and friends.

Witnesses say a 17-year-old La Salle teenager who died of alcohol intoxication in June was drinking Everclear and beer the night before he died.

Brandon Booker was pronounced dead June 25 in the emergency room at Illinois Valley Community Hospital. He was found earlier that morning unconscious on a friend's couch.

Sgt. David Guinnee of the La Salle County Sheriff's Office testified at the inquest Thursday Booker had been to two parties the night of June 24 in La Salle and Utica.

Guinnee said Booker arrived at the La Salle party at approximately 9:20 p.m., and left at about 10:15 p.m. Witnesses told police Booker drank a couple beers during that time.

He then left and went to a social gathering at a friend's house in the 200 block of Case Street in Utica.

Witnesses told police they saw Booker open the trunk of his vehicle and remove a bottle of Everclear -- a grain alcohol that is 95 percent alcohol, or 190 proof. Other hard liquors such as rum and vodka generally contain 40 percent alcohol and are 80 proof.

Witnesses said Booker poured the Everclear into a plastic Lipton Tea bottle and took it into the residence, where he drank a "considerable" amount of the alcohol. He also consumed eight or nine beers, witnesses said.

At about midnight, a friend escorted Booker to a couch in a small family room, and stayed with Booker for an estimated 15 to 20 minutes to make sure he was OK after lying down.

The friend told police Booker had been staggering and unsteady on his feet by that point.

At about 7:30 p.m. the next morning, Booker was found by the same friend unconscious on the couch. Booker was taken to IVCH, where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room.

La Salle County Coroner Jody Bernard estimates Booker died shortly before arriving at the hospital.

Booker's blood alcohol content was .222 -- nearly three times the state's legal level of intoxication. However, Bernard noted there was a considerable amount of time in which the alcohol was metabolized, and Booker's BAC had been much greater than at the time of death.

A coroner's jury ruled the death accidental. Guinnee said there were no criminal charges in regard to the incident.

In 2004, at least nineteen people of college age  died of alcohol toxicity (alcohol poisoning, alcohol overdose).

"There's no place  that's actually keeping data on alcohol deaths"--Thomas Kunstman MD

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.   The mission of the Gordie Foundation is 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.

Comments

[Joel Sax]

Everclear is nasty stuff. 200 proof which means pure alcohol. It's illegal in California and many other states precisely because this kind of thing happens.

[jacqueline]

This is why I am a helicopter parent. How terribly sad and senseless.