16 going on 21

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A few weeks ago we were called for an unconscious person at the local high school. We arrived to find a young man, indeed unconscious. When they could not wake him up, school staff called us. This patient turned out to be 16 years old and more drunk than I have ever been in my life, combined. I'm not even sure how he got to school let alone functioned long enough to fool anyone.
He was so drunk he was about one step away from buying a tube. In fact, if my boss had been there, he would have been on a vent, because he intubates everything with a trachea.

I was so boggled, and amused, and irritated by this, but in the face of such a tragic situation, we mostly just laughed at him. But I wonder if this kind of silliness happens in places where alcohol is more a part of the culture than it is here. In the US you can die for your country, but you can't legally drink a beer. I think all that waiting plays on the American psyche and makes drinking far more desirable, and drinking too early as an act of civil disobedience is something I can understand (although I'll admit was something I didn't do.) But no matter where you grew up, being an unconscious 16 year old drunk at school is completely unacceptable.

Comments

Unknown said…
I totally agree... Had to deal with something like this with one of my offspring - my youngest. Imagine how that went. She was an unhappy camper when I was done with her. But she got the message...
01 July, 2009
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