Alcohol poisoning: recovery position?

• A. Recovery position
• B. Lie flat on back
• C. Roll the person onto their side with knee bent
• D. Sit up immediately

Answer: (A)

When someone is unconscious or not fully responsive from alcohol poisoning, the priority is to keep the airway open and prevent aspiration if they vomit. The recovery position does exactly that: it places the person on their side with the head tilted slightly downward, the mouth accessible, and the airway kept clear. This position allows any vomit or secretions to drain away from the airway and reduces the chance that the tongue or fluids will block breathing.

So the best action is to place them in the recovery position and monitor their breathing. If they stop breathing, you would start CPR and call for help immediately. Do not lie them flat on their back, which can worsen airway obstruction; do not sit them up right away, which can increase the risk of choking. Rolling onto the side with the knee bent describes the same protective outcome in practical terms, but naming it the recovery position emphasizes its purpose: safeguarding the airway in an unconscious person with possible vomiting.