Chris Berry turned 22 on Monday, March 7, 2005. He got together with some friends and drank a lot of alcohol. Berry passed out and was unresponsive the next morning. His roommate called 911; Berry was transported to the hospital. Berry's BAC was reported to be 0.459. On Friday, March 11, 2005 Berry was taken off life support and died.
Berry's binge followed weeks of
public awareness on the southern New Mexico campus about the dangers of
binge drinking that resulted from the death of another student, Steven Judd, who died November 19th, 2004, after a night of binge drinking with his fraternity brothers to celebrate his 21st birthday.
My condolences to his family and friends.
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(The purpose of these posts are to track the number of people under the age of 25 or so who die of alcohol overdose or alcohol poisoning, particularly in settings where they are in the company of their peers, who could call 911 or transport the stuporous victim to an emergency room. (2004 roster; 2005 roster)
Police: NMSU student had 0.459 blood-alcohol level
Last Update: 03/12/2005 2:54:33 PMBy: Todd Dukart
Las Cruces police said a New Mexico State University student who died Friday had a blood-alcohol level of 0.459 – nearly six times the legal driving limit. Christopher P. Berry, a junior at NMSU studying anthropology, was taken off life support Friday, according to police. He had apparently been celebrating his 22nd birthday Monday night and into early Tuesday morning. Later that morning, Berry’s roommate found him unconscious and called 911.
A New Mexico State University student died Friday of apparent alcohol poisoning, days after a bout of heavy drinking on his birthday left him on life support.
Christopher P. Berry, a junior from Maxwell, had been hospitalized Tuesday after drinking with friends.
"All I can tell you is that he is deceased and that he was an organ donor," Memorial Medical Center spokeswoman Sam Benevento said Friday. She wouldn't confirm when Berry died or the cause of death.
But university president Michael Martin said Berry died Friday of apparent alcohol poisoning.
"The campus community is in a state of grief," Martin said.
http://www.thenewmexicochannel.com/news/4278161/detail.html
http://www.krqe.com/expanded.asp?ID=8957
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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.
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