Where did society go wrong?

[74restore]

Sorry folks... a little bit of a rant. Last night I was at a local restaurant pretty late (a pizza place) and while eating with a friend of mine, I noticed a man passed out and vomiting: Let me put things into perspective:

This is in downtown Iowa City after midnight (huge party school)
The pizza is fast food and the place is swarming with drunk college students

This kid is sitting at a table with his friends, passed out, and vomiting all over himself and the floor, but not waking up. That's a red flag in my head that he probably needs some help for alcohol poisoning (it was bad). His friends, however, were so worried about "making a scene" or "being a hassle" or "getting in trouble," that they just let him lay there and continue throwing up. At least they tilted his head so he wouldnt choke on it.

By this time I had seen enough, so before I lost my own pizza, I left the restaurant and called 911, telling them that he at least needed to be looked at. Not sure why this pissed me off, but

Where did we go so wrong in society that people are afraid to call 911? Why does it matter if it "makes a scene." Sick is sick and he needed help. I hope I did the right thing, but cant imagine his friends just letting him "sleep it off."

 

[abckidsmom]

Under. Age. Drinking.

People don't care about making a scene, but I bet somebody in that group was not legal, and calling would have involved certain aspects of the emergency response thy maybe didn't want to see.

 

[Cup of Joe]

Where I am, the university has their own ambulance, and if you call 911 (rather than campus police) for an ambulance on their campus, they will usually take it from us (the fire department). In addition to getting transported, the student will be responsible for a fine (usually around $250) and mandated attendance at a set number of alcohol abuse classes (I think is like 3-6).

A lot of students will not call for an ambulance because they don't want to get in trouble, even though the school claims they will not punish you for calling the ambulance.

 

[ffemt8978]

We went wrong when we started teaching people that they are not responsible for their own actions...it is always somebody else's fault.

Every action has a consequence, and that consequence is NOT "don't blame me, it was somebody else's fault"

 

[JPINFV]

21 drinking age. When the punishment for 1 beer and 5 is the same because you're old enough to be an adult, but too young to drink, there's no incentive to stop at 1 beer.

 

[74restore]

The University of Iowa advertises a Good Samaratin policy, stating that if you have been drinking under age and you call for help for someone, you cannot and will not get in trouble for having alcohol in your system illegally, nor will the pt. This was done to promote people calling for help when it is needed a few years ago after a string of alcohol related deaths. Unfortunately, as soon as people hear "911" its automatically "Im not gonna get into trouble... someone else can do it"

I can understand their fear of getting into trouble, but this policy has been put to use on MANY occasions with some very happy college students leaving without more than a "thanks for calling" from the medics. Its not the policy they dont trust, its the cops they think are going to ticket them (which they wont)

good lord i wish some people would just take initiative and do something for the right reasons

 

[94H]

My College also had a Good Samaritan policy which was great until the City EMS and PD showed up and stuck you with an underage since they were not bound to school policies

EDIT: Yes PD has gone to the hospital and cite students even if they did not originally show up on scene (depended on the nurse and hospital)

 

[Veneficus]

Sorry folks... a little bit of a rant. Last night I was at a local restaurant pretty late (a pizza place) and while eating with a friend of mine, I noticed a man passed out and vomiting: Let me put things into perspective:

This is in downtown Iowa City after midnight (huge party school)
The pizza is fast food and the place is swarming with drunk college students

This kid is sitting at a table with his friends, passed out, and vomiting all over himself and the floor, but not waking up. That's a red flag in my head that he probably needs some help for alcohol poisoning (it was bad). His friends, however, were so worried about "making a scene" or "being a hassle" or "getting in trouble," that they just let him lay there and continue throwing up. At least they tilted his head so he wouldnt choke on it.

By this time I had seen enough, so before I lost my own pizza, I left the restaurant and called 911, telling them that he at least needed to be looked at. Not sure why this pissed me off, but

Where did we go so wrong in society that people are afraid to call 911? Why does it matter if it "makes a scene." Sick is sick and he needed help. I hope I did the right thing, but cant imagine his friends just letting him "sleep it off."

Society failed when people who did not teach their kids to drink responsibly enough to not get killed felt that legislation needed to be in place to save us all from ourselves.

I spend most of my time in a country where kids can get a beer at 16 and harder stuff at 18.

In most cases kids have their first drinks with their parents and...

wait for it...

don't treat having a drink as some immoral unforgivable sin that needs to be concealed as well as don't have the "rebellion" feeling of having a drink.

 

[JPINFV]

Society failed when people who did not teach their kids to drink responsibly enough to not get killed felt that legislation needed to be in place to save us all from ourselves.

I spend most of my time in a country where kids can get a beer at 16 and harder stuff at 18.

In most cases kids have their first drinks with their parents and...

wait for it...

don't treat having a drink as some immoral unforgivable sin that needs to be concealed as well as don't have the "rebellion" feeling of having a drink.

I guess that's why I've never been anymore than a little buzzed, and definitely not to the point of being drunk off my butt vomiting into a toilet. I don't remember the first time I had alcohol because as far back as I remember I've always had a little wine with special meals like Thanksgiving. I'm not talking 16, I'm talking about having an 1/8th a glass of wine while still in grade school. I'm sure if I wanted a beer or something stronger (granted, my parents' alcohol was never really locked up anyways) when I was older I would have been allowed it, but alcohol was never really that taboo.

 

[Veneficus]

I guess that's why I've never been anymore than a little buzzed, and definitely not to the point of being drunk off my butt vomiting into a toilet. I don't remember the first time I had alcohol because as far back as I remember I've always had a little wine with special meals like Thanksgiving. I'm not talking 16, I'm talking about having an 1/8th a glass of wine while still in grade school. I'm sure if I wanted a beer or something stronger (granted, my parents' alcohol was never really locked up anyways) when I was older I would have been allowed it, but alcohol was never really that taboo.

Wine is not considered alcohol when served with a meal.

Edit:

And I have never seen anyone get carded in the winter at the outdoor mulled wine establishments.

 

[Handsome Robb]

You know you're talking about college kids right?

If I had a nickel for every drunk kid I've seen puke, during or outside of work, I would be a rich man.

 

[ffemt8978]

You know you're talking about college kids right?

If I had a nickel for every drunk kid I've seen puke, during or outside of work, I would be a rich man.

If I had a penny for every member of the military or college kid I saw in that condition, I'd be even richer.

 

[JPINFV]

Wine is not considered alcohol when served with a meal.

Edit:

And I have never seen anyone get carded in the winter at the outdoor mulled wine establishments.

Maybe legally, but not necessarily mentally.

 

[Handsome Robb]

I will say one thing. I have been out with friends when they've been in that state and I honestly would have been less than happy if someone called 911 for them. Especially if we were on our way home.

ETOH + Vomit =/= Hospital as long as there is someone responsible around. Sure there are times it does but more times than not it's a waste of resources and money.

We can release people to a responsible party as long as they can walk and I use that term relatively loosely, unless there is something else physiologically that we don't like. At the ER the charge nurse usually asks the patient to hop off the gurney and walk. If they can walk they go to triage and 10/10 times walk right out the front door.

 

[medicsb]

Society has failed because it NEVER succeeded to begin with.

 

[Maine iac]

Hahaha good old IC. All I can say is glad I didn't get pizza last night. Where was it at? Falbos, sams, something in the ped mall?

Are you in the medic program right now?

Iowa City has some interesting drinking problems for people not familiar with the area. Underage drinking is given a complete blind eye before 10pm, and there are some bars that are allowed to have minors in after 10pm.

Which means drinks all around!!

 

[Zeroo]

You obviously did the right thing. Blah society went wrong when parents stoped being parents and disicplining their children! At least thats how I feel. -.-

 

[74restore]

I will say one thing. I have been out with friends when they've been in that state and I honestly would have been less than happy if someone called 911 for them. Especially if we were on our way home.

ETOH + Vomit =/= Hospital as long as there is someone responsible around. Sure there are times it does but more times than not it's a waste of resources and money.

We can release people to a responsible party as long as they can walk and I use that term relatively loosely, unless there is something else physiologically that we don't like. At the ER the charge nurse usually asks the patient to hop off the gurney and walk. If they can walk they go to triage and 10/10 times walk right out the front door.

I can understand where it would be a hassle to get EMS out there in some instances, but in my case, he was not going to walk... anywhere. Most of the time I would have no problem letting friends walk him home or something, but this case was different. He was out cold and vomiting and it just didnt feel right.

Maine iac: No im not in the medic program, but will be in an EMT class this summer. This happened at Mesa Pizza at about 1 am.

 

[Handsome Robb]

I can understand where it would be a hassle to get EMS out there in some instances, but in my case, he was not going to walk... anywhere. Most of the time I would have no problem letting friends walk him home or something, but this case was different. He was out cold and vomiting and it just didnt feel right.

Maine iac: No im not in the medic program, but will be in an EMT class this summer. This happened at Mesa Pizza at about 1 am.

Let me set it straight that I wasn't saying you were wrong by any means. I wasn't there I didn't see what you saw. Every situation is different.

 

[74restore]

Sorry didnt mean for it to come off that way. Its all good man, i see what you're saying and I know your not attacking my claim or anything