# Woman dies from DHMO consumption
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [January 14, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945 "2007-01-14T15:59:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/1 "2007-01-14T15:59:07Z")
DHMO (Dihydrogen Monoxide) [is a very dangerous substance](http://www.dhmo.org/). đ
But seriously, folks: [Woman dies after water-drinking contest](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16614865/):
> [@](#):
>
> SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A woman who competed in a radio stationâs contest to see how much water she could drink without going to the bathroom died of water intoxication, the coronerâs office said Saturday.
This quote struck me as very sad:
> [@](#):
>
> âShe was crying and that was the last that anyone had heard from her.â
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### Author:  [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/2 "2007-01-14T16:04:03Z")
I knew that gorging on water was dangerous - I thought a reasonable portion of the population did.
At least enough, anyway, to know that:
> [@](#):
>
> a radio stationâs contest to see how much water she could drink without going to the bathroom
was a terrible idea. Did their lawyers vet this at all?
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### Author:  [@Electrical\_Storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electrical_Storm)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/3 "2007-01-14T16:51:09Z")
What struck me as even sadder was that she was trying to win a Wii for her kids. A lousy Wii video game console - and now sheâs dead.
From the [CNN.com](http://CNN.com) article:
âHold Your Wee for a Wiiâ contest in which KDND 107.9 promised a Nintendo Wii video game system for the winnerâŚ"
It doesnât sound to me like that was very well thought out. :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/4 "2007-01-14T16:56:18Z")
Sounds like prime lawsuit territory to me (lawyers on this board may chime in at any time)âŚ
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### Author:  [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/5 "2007-01-14T17:06:15Z")
Many of us, as children, one day realized that grownups donât necessarily know what theyâre doing. In this case, whoever was in charge at that radio station made a decision so obviously stupid it would seem like bad writing in a comedy.
Incidentally, Iâm pretty sure the regular chemical name for water is simply hydrogen oxide. You can usually find a way to lengthen a chemical name, but thereâs no point.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/6 "2007-01-14T17:07:25Z")
[QUOTE=Baldwin]
Incidentally, Iâm pretty sure the regular chemical name for water is simply hydrogen oxide. You can usually find a way to lengthen a chemical name, but thereâs no point.
[/QUOTE]
I used the name used in the first link.
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### Author:  [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/7 "2007-01-14T17:23:20Z")
I canât believe a doctor didnât call in and warn them while the show was on air.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/8 "2007-01-14T17:27:16Z")
Huh - it seems like the lawsuit might be tougher than one might think. From the article:
> [@](#):
>
> âThey were small little half-pint bottles, so we thought it was going to be easy,â said fellow contestant James Ybarra of Woodland. âThey told us if you donât feel like you can do this, donât put your health at risk.â
If I were the defendantsâ lawyer, I might say something like: âMy clients had absolutely no intention that any contestant risk their health for a relatively inexpensive videogame console. And just to ensure that no one did, they _advised the contestants_ against doing anything they felt might be dangerous. My clients could never have anticipated that the deceased would have made the tragic decision to continue drinking when she was already feeling the ill-effects of water intoxication.â
Of course, one thing we (or at least I) donât know is whether or not a person begins to feel ill from water intoxication before the condition becomes life-threatening. If the deceased could have consumed enough water to put her in danger, and felt no ill-effects until that water had already been consumed, then thatâs a tougher case for the radio station. In that case, plaintiffâs counsel could argue that a reasonable person might foreseeably have acted as the victim did, because she would have had no warning it was dangerous.
My guess, anyway. Iâm not a lawyer, just a 1L.
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### Author:  [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/9 "2007-01-14T17:50:47Z")
actually the life threatening aspect of rapid water ingestion is cerebral edema, impaired judgement would be expected.
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### Author:  [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/10 "2007-01-14T17:55:03Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Excellent]
If I were the defendantsâ lawyer, I might say something like: âMy clients had absolutely no intention that any contestant risk their health for a relatively inexpensive videogame console. And just to ensure that no one did, they _advised the contestants_ against doing anything they felt might be dangerous. My clients could never have anticipated that the deceased would have made the tragic decision to continue drinking when she was already feeling the ill-effects of water intoxication.â
[/QUOTE]
The only problem is that they were competing over who could drink the most, with a prize offered, which creates a bit of a conflicted message, i.e. âDonât drink too much in respect of your health, but if you drink the most weâre giving you an awesome new Wii!â
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### Author:  [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/11 "2007-01-14T21:01:24Z")
How very sad.
And yeah, someone is going to get sued.
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### Author:  [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/12 "2007-01-14T21:08:40Z")
[QUOTE=AngelicGemma]
How very sad.
And yeah, someone is going to get sued.
[/QUOTE]
Exactly.
Not that it will be much of a consolation to **them** , but her kids are going to get a college education and a new house to go with the Wii. âš
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### Author:  [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/13 "2007-01-14T21:16:43Z")
> [@](#):
>
> John Geary, vice president and marketing manager for Entercom Sacramento, the stationâs owner, said station personnel were stunned when they heard of Strangeâs death.
>
> âWe are awaiting information that will help explain how this tragic event occurred,â he said.
How this tragic event occured?.. :rolleyes:
If I answer âby drinking too much waterâ can I win a prize?
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### Author:  [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/14 "2007-01-14T22:03:56Z")
Iâll bet if you asked 10 people if it was a health risk to drink a lot of water, 9 of them would say no. Oh, maybe youâll get a tummy ache, but fluid imbalance that could kill you?
Stupid contest.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/15 "2007-01-14T23:21:46Z")
[QUOTE=AuntiePam]
Iâll bet if you asked 10 people if it was a health risk to drink a lot of water, 9 of them would say no. Oh, maybe youâll get a tummy ache, but fluid imbalance that could kill you?
Stupid contest.
[/QUOTE]
âAs God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.â
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### Author:  [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/16 "2007-01-14T23:26:46Z")
Out of morbid curiosity, does anyone know how much she drank?
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### Author:  [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/17 "2007-01-14T23:37:36Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.]
âAs God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.â
[/QUOTE]
Oh man, you hit it.
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### Author:  [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/18 "2007-01-14T23:52:02Z")
[QUOTE=Baldwin]
Incidentally, Iâm pretty sure the regular chemical name for water is simply hydrogen oxide. You can usually find a way to lengthen a chemical name, but thereâs no point.
[/QUOTE]
The âmonoâ part of âmonoxideâ is superfluous, but surely the âdiâ is essential? Otherwise, how do you distinguish between H[sub]2[/sub]O and HO, a matter of no small importance in this day and age?
Oh, and this contest was the dumbest idea since the invention of dumb ideas.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/19 "2007-01-14T23:54:54Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy]
The âmonoâ part of âmonoxideâ is superfluous, but surely the âdiâ is essential? Otherwise, how do you distinguish between H[sub]2[/sub]O and HO, a matter of no small importance in this day and age?
[/quote]
So, âdihydrogen oxideâ?
[QUOTE=Priceguy]
Oh, and this contest was the dumbest idea since the invention of dumb ideas.
[/QUOTE]
Except for the turkeys. đ
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### Author:  [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2007, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-dies-from-dhmo-consumption/387945/20 "2007-01-15T00:06:18Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.]
So, âdihydrogen oxideâ?
[/QUOTE]
Yup. I believe âhydrogen hydroxideâ is also kosher. This board being what it is, Iâm sure a chemist will pop in to straighten us out any moment now.
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