David Beningo, 18, Died of Alcohol Poisoning

David Beningo went to a hotel-based party  on December 17, 2005, where alcohol was served.  The party was at a hotel (surely adults must have rented the room(s), and it was reported that the party-goers, some of whom were underage,  brought alcohol with them.  The party-goers "decorated" Mr. Beningo's face with makeup (as  Mr. Phoummarath's face and body were also "decorated") after he lost consciousness.   The party-goers were unable to rouse Mr. Beningo the next day.  He was pronounced dead the next morning.

News reports:
WAVY TV
Daily Press

My deepest condolences to his family and friends.

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.  (1)  to educate the public about alcohol poisoning; (2) to identify steps parents and students can take to
prevent such tragedies;  (3) eradicate fraternity hazing in any form.

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

[Ashley Bowers]

I am very sad to hear this we are losing so many youths to this problem. The teen ager who invented winzip also died of alcohol poisoning!

Ed: Ms. Bowers is partially correct. She is referring to Phillip W. Katz, who invented several file-compression programs, most noticeably PKZIP. According to Wikipedia,

Katz battled alcoholism for years. His friends tried to help him with his addiction, but they were rebuffed, and he gradually shut them out completely. He was arrested several times for driving under the influence, and later in his life, spent more time in cheap motels and strip clubs than his own home.

Katz was found dead in a hotel room with an empty bottle of peppermint schnapps in his hand on April 14, 2000 at the age of 37. A coroner's report stated his death was a result of pancreatic bleeding caused by acute alcoholism.

[Jennifer]

I am the 22 year old sister of David G. Beningo. I, too, would like very much to contribute to the education of our youth on the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption. I realize that many times it is those persons my own age or younger that fall victim to alcohol poisoning. If anyone has any advise or helpful contacts on the subject please emial me @ [email protected]