A Cold Reception

Written by Shawn Ruest on 15/12/11

Photo by vividcorvid on Flickr

It’s that time of the year, snow has come! The winter holidays and the New Year might encourage some of us to celebrate with friends and family, but the biggest party pooper might be winter itself!

The winter can be a great season full of holiday festivities and fun in the snow, but it can hit us with health hazards, such as hypothermia. If you are not keeping yourself warm enough or you are out in the cold for too long, your body temperature can drop below the minimum that it needs to keep it functioning properly. There are also factors that can put you at risk of hypothermia much faster, such as smoking cigarettes (tobacco) and medications (GetPrepared.ca).

Alcohol can also make your body shut down much quicker when you are cold. Some people who choose to party outside or to walk home from a party in the winter are unaware of how dangerous it is to mix alcohol with cold weather. There have even been some cases where individuals have passed out in a snow bank when they were walking home alone, which can be life threatening (CTV News).

It’s one thing to celebrate the winter holidays and all that the New Year has to offer, but it’s important that by doing so, you’re not putting yours or someone else’s life at risk. If you decide to celebrate in a winter wonderland, keep yourself warm! Bundle up, take warm up breaks in a sheltered area and bring a heat source with you. If you are going to deck the halls at a friend’s place, make sure you have a safe ride home.

Happy Holidays from DEAL.org!

Links

Party hosts sued in Manitoba teen’s death – CTV
Seven steps to cold weather safety – (GetPrepared.ca)