While New Year’s Eve celebrations have become almost synonymous with toasts and champagne, one expert is pointing out the dangers of having a few too many while ringing in the new year.
Consuming alcohol is known to make a person feel warmer because of increased blood flow to the extremities, but this can be deceiving if you’re actually losing heat.
“People end up getting tired and then they lay down or fall down in the snow; they become unconscious because they’ve had too much to drink,” says Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, professor of thermophysiology at the University of Manitoba.
“Then, of course, they’re exposed indefinitely to this cold, and it doesn’t have to be minus 20 or minus 40 to freeze to death.”
Health Canada says a drop in body temperature between 2-4°C means you’ve entered the second stage of hypothermia. At this stage, shivering can become uncontrollable, and movement can become difficult.
“Once you start to shiver, that’s really a sign you should change something,” Giesbrecht says.
“If you shiver for five to 10 minutes that’s no big deal, but if you’re continuously shivering, that’s your body telling you something is wrong.”
Giesbrecht suggests putting on extra layers, going indoors, or beginning to exercise to produce some heat.
Prior to that, he says there are some things one can do to minimize the risk.
“Certainly if you’re planning on walking around, at least have someone with you,” Giesbrecht says.
“Make sure you don’t end up laying down in a snowbank somewhere, because if you go to sleep in a snowbank, you might not wake up.”
Although details have yet to be released, a pair of Manitobans died of exposure over the weekend in separate incidents.
Temperatures across southern Manitoba are expected to reach lows around -11°C for New Year’s Eve.
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