Some advice from the Nebraska Regional Poison Center on safe New Year’s celebrating.
- Remember, all drinks are not created equal. Many believe a 12-ounce can of beer, a five-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce wine cooler and an ounce-and-a-half of liquor contain the same amount of alcohol. That’s not necessarily the case.
- Carbonated mixers may cause alcohol to be absorbed into a person’s system more quickly.
- Children are great at helping themselves to food and drink and abandoned drink glasses left within reach could contain enough alcohol to seriously impair a child.
- Watch out for pets, too. Some foods can be highly toxic for pets. Chocolate and caffeine, for example, can be highly dangerous in dogs.
- Jell-O shots or vodka-spiked Jell-O bite can be fun for adults but inappropriate for parties where children are present. It’s possible that a child could mistake this adult product for something they’re used to eating — with dangerous results.
- Candles and oil lamps can be attractive to small children. If a child swallows brightly colored lamp oil and chokes it can end up in the lungs with potentially fatal outcomes.
- Clean up immediately following parties. The ash trays and partially filled glasses are tempting to small children.
- If you purchase whipahols — whipped cream that is infused with alcohol — make sure that these aren’t stored where small children can reach them. Some whipahols contain 15 to 18 percent alcohol.
- Remember, alcohol is a depressant. If you are on medications that can cause drowsiness, these symptoms can be increased up to 10 times. Alcohol can interact with many medications in unexpected ways.