Blacking Out vs. Passing Out
When students drink large amounts of alcohol, especially rapidly, and on an empty stomach, it can cause blackouts. A blackout is a period of memory loss that happens while a person is intoxicated. People can have complete memory loss or they can have memories that are hazy and fragmented. Blackouts happen because alcohol prevents the brain from forming new long-term memories.
Is blacking out the same thing as passing out?
No, blackouts are very different from passing out.
Passed Out
A person who has passed out has lost consciousness, and is basically unresponsive.
Blacking out
A person that is blacking out can still move and speak. They may appear to be functioning normally, but will have impaired coordination, balance and decision-making.
Why blacking out can be so dangerous:
During a blackout, a person can be very intoxicated but still talk, walk, drive, have sex, or do practically anything that a sober person could do. Friends may think nothing is wrong, when in fact this person is not in full control of his or her actions.
Students who are blacking out risks serious injury to themselves and others, everyday activities like walking, driving, and crossing the street become much more dangerous.
Blackouts can also be a serious problem for students who drink and have sex. Since it’s very difficult to tell when someone is blacking out, it can be impossible to tell if a sexual partner is actually consenting to have sex.
How can you avoid having blackouts?
The safest way to avoid blacking out is to not drink alcohol. If you choose to drink, use the strategies we discussed previously to lower your risk of blacking out. Here's a quick review:
Drinking games cause a person to consume a lot of alcohol in a short period of time.
Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Food slows the absorption of alcohol into the blood.
A plain Coke looks the same as a rum and Coke.
This gives your body time to metabolize the alcohol and keep you blood alcohol levels from getting dangerously high.