HopeNetworks. org to Hold Candlelight Vigil to Remember COREY DOMINGUE
Sunday, October 10 marks the first anniversary of the alcohol overdose death of Corey Domingue, a 19 year-old LSU Honors student. Alcohol overdose claims of 1000 College Students lives each year. Friends and concerned citizens are invited to join members of the Domingue family, students, and community advocacy groups to gather on the median of Bob Petit Road under the entrance to Tigerland, Sunday October 10, 2004 at 7pm in the evening for a brief service in memory of CoreyÂ’s life. All wishing to share a memory will be encouraged and welcomed to speak.
BATON ROUGE, LA (PRWEB) October 8, 2004
Alcohol is a leading related cause of death for youth under the age of 25. College Binge drinking can be fatal, and awareness of this fact can save lives. Heavy alcohol use affects more students than other drugs combined. More students drink than use cocaine, marijuana, or cigarettes combined. Today no warnings are provided to consumers advising of the potential for poisoning and other health concerns that contribute to the alcohol related deaths in the U. S. of more than 100,000 people each year. College drinking is an extremely serious health concern for parents and college administrators. College students often report consuming more than 10 drinks in a row. These are levels where most individuals will have passed out or become comatose. Ending myths and promoting truth about alcohol can save lives. This pattern of extreme consumption puts the drinker at risk for very serious problems, including alcohol poisoning. National studies show those in college aged 18-25 to be the largest consumers of alcohol in the country. Louisiana Emergency rooms report thousands of college students present themselves for emergency care from alcohol overdose each year.
Alcohol poisoning occurs when excessive amounts of alcohol depress nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing and gag reflex (which prevents choking). A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions. It is common for someone who consumed excessive amounts of alcohol to vomit because alcohol is an irritant to the stomach. The vomiting creates the danger of choking, which could cause death by asphyxiation in a person who is not conscious because of intoxication.
Critical Signs of Alcohol Poisoning
•Mental confusion, stupor, coma, or person cannot be roused
•Vomiting
•Seizures
•Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute)
•Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
•Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness
What to do if Alcohol Poisoning is suspected
•Know the danger signals
•Do not wait for all symptoms to be present
•Be aware that a person who has passed out may die
•If there is any suspicion of an alcohol overdose, call 911 for help. Don’t try to guess the level of drunkenness
Let us not allow CoreyÂ’s death and the suffering of the Domingue family to be forgotten. Talk to teenagers about binge drinking and alcohol poisoning. If alcoholism is in the family, the children have a greater risk of alcohol related problems. Predisposition to alcoholism should be discussed openly and often just as a family would discuss other hereditary health concerns with their children. Drinking before the age of 21 is a serious health risk and an illegal act. In CoreyÂ’s case, it was fatal. Louisiana lost a promising young man. The Domingues lost a son. LSU lost an honors student and a dedicated football fan.
“Alcohol deaths and other injuries like Cory’s overdose can be prevented, but it takes an honest and direct effort by all involved, Alcohol can literally poison you in one sitting, yet t hat information is unclear to the largest group of consumers, and those most at risk. We are hopeful that appropriate warnings on both alcohol products and point of sale locations will become a reality, after all college students can only prevent potential fatal injuries when they have all the facts.”
For more information about the Candlelight Vigil contact Samantha Hope-Atkins at 225.806.8552 or sam@werecover. org or Sharron Ayers, Louisiana Alliance to Prevent Underage drinking at 225.978.9929.
###
