The poison is in the dose, part 1

A woman in Sacramento manages to kill herself by drinking water:

Autopsy Finds Signs of Water Intoxication in Radio Contestant's Death

Preliminary autopsy findings concluded a Rancho Cordova woman who competed in a radio station water-drinking contest before she was found dead Friday showed signs consistant with water intoxication, Sacramento County Coroner's Office authorities said Saturday.

The results of a preliminary investigation released Saturday showed evidence "consistent with a water intoxication death" in the death of 28-year-old Jennifer Strange, Sacramento County assistant coroner Ed Smith said.

Smith said the autopsy found no traces of "life threatening medical conditions" that would have otherwise explained Strange's sudden death.

Strange, 28, was found dead inside her Astral Drive home in Rancho Cordova Friday afternoon. Her death came just hours after Strange participated in a radio station KDND 107.9 The End contest, testing contestants to drank as much water as they could without going to the bathroom.
The winner of the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest would take home a new Nintendo Wii video game system.

Strange's co-worker at Radiological Associates of Sacramento Laura Rios said Strange participated in the contest Friday morning, then was heading home when she reportedly called her supervisor in terrible pain.

"She said to one of our supervisors that she was on her way home and her head was hurting her real bad," Rios said. "She was crying and that was the last that anyone had heard from her."

The supervisor called Strange's mother, who went to her daughter's home and discovered the body.

Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran confirmed Strange's death Friday, but said there were no immediate grounds to begin an investigation.

According to contest participants, 17 to 20 contestants took part in the competition in a room at KDND's Madison Avenue studios. The contest broadcast during The End's Morning Rave program began around 6:15 a.m. as contestants were each handed eight-ounce bottles of water to drink every 15 minutes.

Fellow contestant James Ybarra of Woodland said he met Strange at the event and had no idea of the potential danger of water poisoning. "They were small little half-pint bottle so we thought it was going to be easy," Ybarra said. "They told us if you don't feel like you can do this, don't put your health in risk."

But after 90 minutes of drinking, Ybarra decided he had had enough. "I tapped (out) after five (bottles)," Ybarra said. "My bladder couldn't handle it anymore."

Ybarra said after he quit, the remaining contestents were given even larger bottles to drink to stay in the competition. Strange was still in the contest when he opted out.
"I was talking to her and she was a nice lady," Ybarra said. "She was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for kids."

Ybarra said before the contest, he did not read a liability waiver form handed to him by station personnel before signing it. Ybarra said he was surprised by the physical toll he felt after the contest.

"I was kind of out of it yesterday. I was just drained. I was just going to the bathroom," Ybarra said. "I wasn't feeling well and I actually fell asleep. I woke up with a headache (Saturday) morning and then took a couple of aspirins."

Ybarra said he was unaware of any medical personnel on hand to monitor the contest.

In a brief written statement issued Saturday, Entercom Sacramento VP and market manager John Geary expressed sympathy for Strange's family.

"We were stunned when we heard the news," Geary said. "We are awaiting information that will help explain how this tragic event occurred."

Well, it occurred because she DRANK TOO MUCH WATER. ANYTHING can be toxic when you eat, drink, inhale, or otherwise ingest too much at once. Different substances have different levels of toxicity, so for instance, it takes only about 20 mg of strychnine to kill someone but 125 mg of arsenic and 360 g of ethanol. Water, obviously, can be consumed with more impunity, but drinking 3/4 of a gallon (48 oz) at one sitting can be fatal depending on the drinker's activity level, size, health, etc. Mr. Ybarra was about at that limit when he quit. He was very very lucky to only feel unwell for a day.

This article drew my attention for a couple of reasons, aside from its oddity. One, it points out the severe shortcomings of contemporary health and science journalism. For several years articles on health, diet, and exercise have been relentlessly preaching the dangers of dehydration. Never mind that this is really only a concern for people in who work outside in desert conditions or are in other extreme physical situations. People who read this stuff (and believe it 'cause they SAW IT IN PRINT) will no longer even walk around the block without a bottle of water. Students in my classes (and others', it's not just me!) can't seem to get through an hour without a bottle or cup (I assume it's water). On a vacation trip a few years ago I took a short walking tour of some sea turtle nesting sites on Sunset Beach. When I say short, I mean well under a mile total - SHORT. The weather was hot but not oppressive, there was a nice sea breeze, the pace was leisurely, plus all we had to do was walk 100 feet to the west and we would be back at the island's well populated main street. In spite of all that, the guides insisted that everybody carry a bottle of water to prevent dehydration and spent a lot of time standing around in the sun explaining the dangers before we started. Most people also now believe that they can't lose weight or will actually gain weight unless they drink lots of water, something that has been shown repeatedly to be false. Drinking only when you're thirsty? Waiting until after class to stop at a water fountain even if you are a little dry? Too much like common sense. Drinking from a PUBLIC FOUNTAIN OR KITCHEN FAUCET!!!???? Bad for the bottled water companies.

The other reason is one that I will look at a little more closely next time. It has to do with the notion that something that is good for you in small doses must be great in large ones, and the converse - something that is toxic at large doses must be so at all doses. This leads to a great deal of silliness, as we shall see.