DR. WALLACE: When a person passes out from drinking, is it better to let him sleep or to have him walk it off? My boyfriend gets into a lot of "chugging" contests with his buddies and keeps drinking until he collapses. I always let him sleep it off in my apartment. His sister thinks that his friends and I should encourage him to walk it off instead. She thinks it's dangerous to let a drunken binge drinker sleep it off.
Do you have any information on the subject? He's really a sweet and caring guy when he is not drinking, but I'm beyond worried over his binges. — Anonymous, Chicago, Ill.
ANONYMOUS: When large amounts of alcohol are consumed in a very short time the blood alcohol level in an individual rises rapidly and can cause the part of the brain that controls the breathing to slow or even shut down in some cases.
This is known as alcohol poisoning and can cause the drinker to fall into a deep sleep, which can result in death. When a person passes out because of chugging alcohol, he or she should never be allowed to sleep it off. The person should be kept awake by any means possible and taken to the nearest medical facility.
Your boyfriend is highly competitive, but he could die while trying to prove he's the fastest "chugger" in Illinois. Your concern for his well being needs to go beyond helping him walk off his next binge. I urge you to try to convince him to get help. Alcoholics Anonymous would be a great place to start. The number can be found in the white pages of your telephone directory.
If you can't convince him that he is in serious trouble, stop seeing him.
TEENS NEED SPENDING MONEY
DR. WALLACE: My parents are not "super" wealthy, but they're also not even close to being considered poor. Our family lives in a good neighborhood and has all of the regular comforts of life. I'm 13 and I never have any money for anything. I'm too young to earn any money and my parents refuse to give me money because they say that I don't need any and that their parents didn't give them any when they were younger. Both of my parents were born in Korea. I know that you can't make them give me money, but maybe they would if you suggest that teens need a little money. — Min, Seattle, Wa.
MIN: Show this information to your mom and dad and they might allow you to have a little spending money.
Recent research indicates that 84 percent of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 receive spending money from their parents as needed. Sometimes this money is considered a set "allowance" with no restrictions or conditions and other times it is tied to doing regular household chores.
Perhaps your parents would be open to a monetary arrangement for you that is tied to your chores, or even to having you do some "extra" work around the house, yard or garden? Discuss this idea with mom and dad. I do agree that teens should have a little spending money. Hopefully your family can find a workable solution so that you can start your journey on truly understanding the value of your labor efforts in conjunction with the value of money. Good luck!
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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