The "senseless" death of a Dunedin student who choked on his own vomit at a party has been described as "a woeful illustration of the prevalent youth drinking culture in New Zealand".
A coroner's inquiry has determined the 20-year-old's death was caused by asphyxia when vomit became stuck in his throat while intoxicated.
The student, whose name is suppressed, was in his first year of study at Otago University when he died just after midnight on October 1, 2023 .
Earlier in the evening the 20-year-old and some friends attended a party to celebrate his birthday.
Witnesses said he began drinking an "unknown quantity" of alcohol after arriving at 6.40pm.
He was later found passed out and "pretty much unresponsive" in the kitchen.
He started vomiting and was carried to a bedroom in the flat. One of those with him looked for and found a pulse.
"It is unclear from the evidence whether [the student] was left alone in bed, or whether anyone remained with him," Associate Coroner EL van Son's findings say.
As a group of people later tried to clear his throat, the unconscious student became pulseless and "blue in the face".
At 11.25pm, emergency services were called. He was carried into the hallway, not breathing, and his face became purple.
Despite the best efforts of partygoers and paramedics, CPR was unsuccessful, and the 20-year-old could not be revived. He was pronounced dead at 12.16am.
A toxicology report found his blood contained an elevated level of 319 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The alcohol limit for a New Zealand driver aged 20 or over is 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres.
Fatalities from alcohol consumption are typically in the range of 300 to 500 milligrams per 100 millilitres.
'Not an isolated incident'
The coroner described the student's death as a "tragic consequence of excessive alcohol consumption by a young person".
"His death was senseless and is a woeful illustration of the prevalent youth drinking culture in New Zealand.
"Sadly, [the student's] death is not an isolated incident."
A 2024 study by the University of Otago estimated around 900 deaths a year were caused by alcohol. While the study used statistics from 2018 — the most recent year researchers could get a complete data set for — the results were expected to be similar to when findings were released.
Of those deaths, 42% were from cancer; 33% from injuries; and 25% from conditions such as liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, and epilepsy.
According to alcohol.org.nz, one in three men between 18 and 24 were likely to binge drink at least once a week. For women in that age range, 19% were recorded to be binge drinking every week.
When making recommendations, the coroner said it was critical that young drinkers "appreciate the seriousness" of the dangers that came with binge drinking and what to do when someone becomes unresponsive.
"While your first instinct may be to let a friend who has passed out 'sleep it off', it is important to know that things can go from bad to worse quickly when someone drinks enough to lose consciousness."
The visible signs of acute alcohol intoxication are confusion, vomiting, seizures, blue or pale skin, loss of coordination, stumbling, passing out and slow or irregular breathing.
"Getting to know the signs of acute alcohol intoxication might save someone’s life," the coroner said.
"If a person becomes unconscious due to the effects of alcohol, the safest first aid treatment is to call for an ambulance and let properly trained medical professionals assess that person."
If someone is showing signs of alcohol poisoning, Hato Hone St John and Health NZ recommend staying with the person and calling 111.
"Treat this as an emergency. You will not get into trouble for taking action."
She also recommended keeping them awake, upright, and warm.
"If they are breathing but not responding, place them lying down on their side, with an ear towards the ground (the recovery position). Keep their mouth free of vomit."
In the report, a toxicologist said alcohol affects the human body in a similar way to general anaesthetics. They said there is a "fine line" between anaesthesia and death.
"If a person becomes unconscious as a result of heavy alcohol consumption, there is always a risk that the person could die," the expert said.
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