Please help, should I take him to hospital?

[ohnopleasenotthis]

My neighbours have just knocked and told us that our 14yo son was unconscious on the ground outside our house - we rushed out and he's clearly been drinking HUGE amounts of alcohol he's wet himself, he's now regained consciousness and vomited copiously, he can't stand unaided and he's barely able to talk. Is also being quite aggressive and wont let his dad bring him into the house. Not able to tell us how much he's had or what it was.

Obviously he's in shit so deep he'll probably never get out but should we take him to hospital? DH wants to put him to bed (not sure how!) but I'm worried about choking on vomit and/or alcohol poisoning.

I feel quite out in the cold as I don't think it would have occurred to me to take my kid to A & E if they were drunk. I'd get them home and get them puking and drinking water and then ensure they were sleeping on their side with regular checks from me (and bucket and towel over the edge of the bed).

My two are older but have both been paralytic (the 19 year old twice the 17 year old once). I guess I'm a bad parent!

No you’re not. I wouldn’t have taken my little drunkard to hospital either but for the fact that he was so stupefyingly drunk, he couldn’t tell us if he’d taken anything else.

He’d gone out to meet friends for the local Gala Day and I called him to ask when he was coming in for dinner. Another boy answered and told me ds was in the woods and although he didn’t know what he’d been doing, was unconscious and wasn’t responding!
I told the lad to call an ambulance immediately and ran (on foot) to the location in an utter panic, thinking my boy was in grave danger/already dead!
Turned out he was indeed simply pickled in vodka and was so pissed he couldn’t move or speak. He did come round while waiting for the ambulance and start talking the biggest load of shit imaginable. I regretted telling the kid to call one.
They took him in anyway as he still wasn’t able to tell us if he’d had anything else other than drink. He ended up sleeping it off on a trolley in the corridor of A&E.
A complete waste of everyone’s time and resources.

@Bouledeneige I didn't call an ambulance either, we did exactly what you did and kept him on his side all night.

Do you know, I never thought of popping up to A and E with biscuits etc - I know the ambulances are always stacked up outside too! Thanks for ideas

Every single paramedic I have met has been lovely and so kind. Also every anaesthetist, weirdly. Maybe it's a requirement of the job

Also every anaesthetist I've met has been shit hot which is always a bonus before going under the knife
Misses point of thread

Why be angry at his mates? I'd be thanking them profusely for bringing him home. They were no doubt scared at how you'd react which is why they ran off. Assuming they're the same age it's also possibly the first time they've been around someone in that condition.

Hope your son has learnt his lesson.

I wouldn't worry about ss. You've done all the right things. It's a normal nd proportionate occurrence in the grand scheme of things, teenager/summer hols etc. If they ring you you can explain he's had consequences etc. They'd be more worried if you hadn't called for medical help.

Assuming they're the same age it's also possibly the first time they've been around someone in that condition.

I may be wrong but I assumed someone had driven him home (and dumped him on the pavement), in which case at least one of the “mates” is older than 14 by at least 3 years, @H2OH20Everywhere. If that’s the case I would be very angry with them.

Even if they were all 14 and walked/dragged him home, they should have at least rung @ohnopleasenotthis’s doorbell rather than leaving him on the pavement. He was lucky the neighbours spotted him.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be cross with them as well and I would be having a quiet word with their parents.

Why be angry at his mates? I'd be thanking them profusely for bringing him home.

Because they just dumped him. But for the neighbour, he could have choked on his own vomit, or worse.

They’re 14, and very likely drunk themselves. Op should safe her ire for her own 14 year old who was drunker than any of them.

Don't be cross with their mates. It's very probably (let's hope!) the first time they have had to handle such a situation. It's quite tricky getting someone paralytic home - I know I've helped a few - my kids and their friends.

Your DS just needs to tell them to do what other teens do - get their pals phone and call their mum or Dad to come and pick them up. And then you need to grab a carrier bag and towel and go get em.

I suspect there's no need for a real bollocking. The hangover and humiliation should be it's own best medicine.