Steve Saucedo

Steven Saucedo and his friends were playing drinking games.  Later that night,  Saucedo died of alcohol poisoning.

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Steve Saucedo did not wake up last Friday morning. One of his friends found Saucedo’s lifeless body around 9 a.m. The coroner has not yet completed his toxicology tests, but police say it appears the U.C.-Berkeley student drank himself to death.

Saucedo was 21. According to one newspaper account, he and a group of friends decided to have a drinking contest last Thursday night. Saucedo was the bartender and, according to his roommate, was doling out shots of tequila, vodka and whiskey. His roommate also said that Steve was a competitive guy and liked to win at everything he did. This time the game turned deadly.
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A drinking game turned fatal on the UC-Berkeley campus last Friday for Steve Saucedo, a 21-year-old student who was found dead in his apartment the morning following the game. Saucedo had been engaged in a competitive drinking contest with a few close friends and fell asleep after consuming large quantities of alcohol. A friend phoned the authorities Friday morning when he was unable to wake Saucedo.

Drinking games are prevalent on college campuses: Beirut, quarters, chugging contests as well as the “power hour,” in which players drink a shot of beer each minute. These recreational drinking activities are more common at smaller parties, where the alcohol is plentiful and the atmosphere is more intimate.

According to a 1993 study published by the journal “Psychological Reports,” moderate drinkers are at highest risk for consuming too much alcohol during these drinking contests or games, as they are more likely to join in the competitive spirit and quickly surpass their limits. People who drink on a more constant basis, on the other hand, are more likely to consume the same amount of alcohol whether or not they participate in the games.

At Stanford, University health officials are well aware that these types of games and contests exist and have implemented strategies to curb binge drinking. Ralph Castro, the alcohol and drug prevention manager at Vaden Student Health Center, described the many prevention programs designed to educate students about the dangers of binge drinking.

“We have a targeted outreach education program that runs primarily in freshman residences, including a dorm event called ‘Catching the perfect social zone buzz without puking,’ ” Castro said. “We try to dissect the drinking culture at Stanford and challenge basic assumptions about drinking, such as the idea that the more alcohol one consumes, the better the night will be.”

The excessive consumption of hard liquor is seen as one of the more significant health problems, Castro said, due to the high percentage of pure alcohol that can quickly make its way into the bloodstream and lead to fatal complications.

According to Castro, about one-third of the Stanford population completely abstains from alcohol and only about five to seven percent of students would be considered heavy drinkers. In the recent past, there have been no alcohol-related deaths on campus, although a few students have come close. In 1998, an intoxicated student fell from the second floor of the now nonexistent fraternity Phi Delta Theta, and the fraternity’s housing was quickly revoked.

“I’ve definitely seen drinking games taking place at Stanford, with people having the intent of drinking just to drink, as opposed to socially drinking at a party,” said junior Emily Lehrman. “But then again, I don’t really think there is a pressure to drink at Stanford. I guess it depends on who your friends are, but I’ve never been around people who have pressured me to consume alcohol.”

The ASSU has also been working to offer alcohol-free social events through the program “Absolute Fun,” which has so far hosted the White Plaza block party during fall quarter and a hypnotist event in the winter.

While drinking games are ingrained in college culture, Castro explained, “it is important to look at the motivations behind the games. Often, they are simply an excuse for people to interact with each other in a structured way, but there are other ways to do that. After all, does anyone really win in a drinking game, or is the winner usually the one who gets the sickest?”

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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

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