NewsLocal News

Actions

Several people at UCSD taken to hospital for alcohol poisoning

Posted at 7:49 PM, Dec 14, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-15 09:36:09-05

LA JOLLA, Calif., (KGTV)-- Several people at the University of California, San Diego [UCSD] were hospitalized early Saturday over alcohol poisoning, the school confirmed.

A spokeswoman for UCSD told 10News that a total of seven people were taken to the hospital between 2:00 AM and 3:00 AM Saturday for severe alcohol poisoning. The emergency calls came from three locations on campus. One was from the undergraduate dormitories at Eleanor Roosevelt College, and two ambulances were dispatched to the Graduate Housing buildings.

The school could not confirm if the patients were UCSD students or guests. While drinking is allowed on campus for students 21-and-over, the spokesperson did not say whether the hospitalized people were of age.

10News spoke to students who recalled a lot of partying going on campus Friday night, where students appeared to be celebrating the end of finals and start of winter break.

"It was finals week, so it was very hectic," third-year student, Tyla Turner said. "It's like, you've been so much in the books for three to four weeks, you can finally go out. And it's like once you haven't been doing it that much, alcohol poisoning comes faster. It just hits you like that, you know?"

These incidents come just a month after Dylan Hernandez, a freshman at neighboring San Diego State University died, after falling off a bunk bed while heavily intoxicated. Hernandez allegedly attended a fraternity party the evening before the fall. Since then, the state University has suspended all fraternity activities.

To prevent tragedies like this from happening, last year, UCSD implemented a special policy for situations involving alcohol and drug intoxication. They call it the Medical Amnesty Program [MAP].

MAP states that if a student or organization finds another student in need of medical attention after drug or alcohol intoxication, they can call their advisor or campus police for help. As long as that student only uses the MAP policy once within two years, he or she will not have to go through a formal student conduct process.

Second-year student Sydney Brown said she had no idea this policy existed. But she appreciates that this is in place to protect her peers.

"If you're ever in that situation, you don't want to get your friend in trouble. You don't want to get in trouble. But if it's a life or death situation, you got to do what you have to do," Brown said.

UCSD said everyone transported to the hospital was treated for non-life threatening conditions.