alcohol poisoning

Last reviewed 01/2018

Alcohol poisoning can affect both adults and children.

For children the two main scenarios encountered are:

• the child wanders around a house the morning after a party, trying the drinks left from the evening before
• some adults find the fact that a small child enjoys alcohol amusing, especially when they become tipsy, and press more alcohol on them.

It is important to emphasise the seriousness of alcohol poisoning in children under these circumstances; the resulting hypoglycaemia can be life-threatening.