Don’t Take it Lying Down

According to a preliminary report from medical personnel, a California University of Pennsylvania student and basketball player likely inhaled chewing gum into her lungs while asleep before being found dead in her dormitory.  An autopsy was conducted, but the results have not been released.  Although unusual, death by inhaling chewing gum is not unheard of.  In 2013, 59-year-old English man died after a 2cm piece of gum obstructed his trachea.

Aspiration - the inhalation of liquid, food, or stomach contents in to the windpipe. It can happen anytime, anywhere.  An aspirated solid or semisolid object may lodge in the larynx or trachea. If the object is large enough to cause nearly complete obstruction of the airway, asphyxia may rapidly cause death. Those most at risk of aspiration are the elderly and small children.  Proper positioning is important.  Sitting upright, not tilted back or slumped to the side, helps breathing and swallowing. Positioning after the meal is important, too. A person should remain upright for thirty to forty-five minutes after eating or taking medication. This puts gravity to work, reducing the likelihood of aspiration and reflux.  For children, cut foods into small pieces and never let the child run, play or lie down while eating.

Mark Bello is the CEO and General Counsel of Lawsuit Financial Corporation, a pro-justice lawsuit funding company.

Quick Thinking Teen Uses Pocket Knife to Free Woman from Overturned Vehicle

It was the second time in eight days that a driver left Shoreline Drive in Long Beach, CA and slammed into an embankment.  At the same time, a 16-year-old was watching an episode of “Parks and Recreation” on Netflix at his nearby home.

Andrew said the sound of he heard was all too familiar.  Without thinking, her grabbed his folding pocket knife and ran out the door.  In route, he asked a neighbor to call 9-1-1.  Nearby, in a grassy embankment, he found an overturned Scion that had careened through a guardrail, splintering a tree and skidding down the slope.  The car’s driver, a woman in her 20s, was still inside.  Andrew told her to back away from the window before he used the butt of the pocket knife to smash it and help the woman crawl out.  He dragged the woman 30 feet from the accident, before running to grab a first-aid kit. The woman was taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries.  Andrew suffered minor cuts on his arm and hand while helping to extricate the woman.

Andrew's cuts and scrapes after freeing trapped driver

How did this young man know what to do? Andrew says he often watches emergency response-themed videos on YouTube and aspires to join the U.S. Marine Corps upon graduation and generally feels drawn to help others in need.  He was the first to help eight days prior when a man careened off the side of the freeway and landed in the same intersection.  That driver also escaped with minor injuries. 

Andrew said accidents like these have been happening for years and it is time for the city to make a change for the safety of everyone.  Will the city agree and make changes before a more serious accident occurs?

Mark Bello is the CEO and General Counsel of Lawsuit Financial Corporation, a pro-justice lawsuit funding company.

It’s Vanilla Time!

It is a great way to enhance the flavor of many foods.  You may use it in your favorite cookies, cake, or brownies; it can be found in nearly every baking recipe.  Its alcohol content may exceed conventional alcoholic beverages by a large margin.  What is it?  Vanilla extract!

A New York woman was recently arrested for driving erratically in a Walmart parking lot.  A breathalyzer test showed she was three times over the legal limit. The woman allegedly told police she had drank two hand-sized bottles of pure vanilla extract; police found a bottle after searching her vehicle.

Did you know that pure vanilla extract contains at least 35% alcohol, which is similar to the alcohol content found in vodka or gin?  By comparison, the average beer’s alcohol content ranges from 3% to 6%.

Visiting McCormick’s website, I learned many extracts contain enough alcohol to render intoxication if that is your desire.

·         Pure Almond extract:  32% alcohol.

·         Pure Banana extract:  34% alcohol

·         Pure Cinnamon extract:  40% alcohol.

·         Pure Orange extract:  79% alcohol

·         Pure Lemon extract:  83% alcohol

·         Pure Mint extract:  89% alcohol

·         Pure Peppermint extract:  89% alcohol.

While I am sure most people do not reach into the pantry to chug a bottle of extract just to get drunk, according to police, everyone from young children to alcoholics have been abusing vanilla extract and similar off-the-shelf products containing a significant amount of alcohol.  For under-age drinkers, it is a way to get very drunk very fast, without making an illegal purchase or raiding the family liquor cabinet.  Alcoholics tend to ingest these products when they don't want to admit they have a drinking problem.

While we can’t remove every item containing alcohol from our shelves, learning more about these substances, can help prevent our loved ones from traveling down a dangerous path to addiction.  Parents of teens should be especially aware of the great lengths some kids will go to for a high.  Just one- ounce bottle of vanilla extract added to a glass of Coke can provide that extra something.  Those who abuse household products may seem drunk and uncoordinated, and they may also have a chemical odor (or strong vanilla scent) to their breath. 

Mark Bello is the CEO and General Counsel of Lawsuit Financial Corporation, a pro-justice lawsuit funding company.