Addiction Alcohol Use How to Deal With a Drunk Child By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada. Learn about our editorial process Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on May 06, 2020 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on May 11, 2020 Print It's every parent's nightmare that one day your teenager will get drunk and you will have to handle it. While this is an emotional experience for parents, it is important that you support your child through the situation. And this is definitely a time when there are good and bad ways to respond as a parent. Here's how to deal with a drunk child or teenager, and get it right. 1 Stay Calm Bruce Ayres / Getty Images It can be frightening, annoying and angering to see your child drunk for the first time. But it is important to stay calm and in control of yourself while you are dealing with him. Your child is in a vulnerable state, both physically and mentally, and despite the fact that you may be angry with him, he needs your care and concern at this time. Do Speak clearly, calmly, and gently Stay with him until he's sober Take responsibility for your child's health Do Not Force him to eat or drink Laugh at, make fun of, or express amusement Punish him while he's intoxicated Touch him more than necessary Yell, criticize, argue, or threaten 2 Find Out How Much Your Child Had to Drink Young people can appear very drunk after consuming relatively small amounts of alcohol because they have a very low tolerance for alcohol. However, if your child has drunk more alcohol than his body can handle, he may be at risk of alcohol poisoning. If he is able to speak, try to find out how much he has drunk in a way that will not encourage him to lie about the amount. You can also check with his companions or the party or drinking establishment where he was drinking to get an idea of how much he has consumed. Use the blood alcohol concentration estimate for men (for boys) or women (for girls) to evaluate your child's level of intoxication. Be aware that most people underestimate how much alcohol they have consumed, especially in home-poured drinks. Is Your Teen's Alcohol Use a Sign of Depression? 3 Get Medical Help If Necessary Take your child to the emergency room if: He has had a fall or sustained any other injuries. He has—or you think he may have—taken other drugs, including prescription medication. He has lost consciousness (passed out or blacked out) at any point since starting drinking. He or someone else indicates that he may have just consumed strong alcoholic beverages, such as vodka or whiskey, as he may become more intoxicated. He is unable to speak or is incoherent. He has vomited. This is his body's first line of defense against overdose. You are concerned about your child's health or well-being for any other reason. 4 Call the Police If Violence Erupts The risk of family violence increases with alcohol use. If your child becomes threatening or violent to people or property, call the police immediately. This kind of situation can easily escalate into a tragedy. The police are well-trained in diffusing and managing these situations. The same is true if the other parent, or another person present, becomes violent toward your child. Parents can often get very angry when their teenage kids are drunk, and you don't want to get caught in the cross-fire by trying to break them up. Remember, you can work out the details of how you move forward as a family tomorrow when everyone is sober. 5 Rehydrate Encourage your child to slowly sip water to rehydrate, but be prepared that sometimes the process of drinking more (even water) can induce vomiting in a drunk youth. If he vomits, take him to the emergency room for treatment. 6 Keep Your Child Awake One of the greatest risks is asphyxiation from vomiting during sleep when drunk. It may seem counter-intuitive to keep your child awake when he is drunk, but it is the safest thing to do. Your child may become more intoxicated from the alcohol already in his system. If he appears to be becoming more intoxicated as time goes on, take him to the emergency room. Ideally, you want to see him sober up before letting him "sleep it off." 7 Put Your Child in the Recovery Position If your son is too drunk to stand up or you're unable to take him to the emergency room, put him in the recovery position (on his side) and call an ambulance. If he has sobered up and you feel he will be safe to go to bed, make sure he goes to sleep in the recovery position. That way, if he vomits during the night, he is less likely to inhale the vomit. Underage Drinking Risk Factors and Consequences Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Understanding Dangers of Alcohol Overdose. Updated November 2019. College Drinking Changing the Culture. Facts About Alcohol Overdose (or Alcohol Poisoning). No Date. Additional Reading Alcohol Overdose: The Dangers of Drinking Too Much. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Speak to a Therapist for Addiction Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.