Use the recovery position when someone is not responding to you but is breathing normally. Kneel beside them, place the near arm at a right angle, put the back of their other hand against their cheek, pull the far knee up and roll them onto their side, then tilt the head back to keep the airway open. Call 999 or 112 and stay with them. If they are not breathing normally, call 999 and start CPR instead.
Updated 29 September 2026 · Sources: St John Ambulance, NHS, British Red Cross, Metropolitan Police
If someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, call 999 or 112, start CPR straight away and send someone to find a defibrillator. Occasional gasps are not normal breathing. Also call 999 if they have a seizure, can’t be woken, or you think they have alcohol poisoning.
The recovery position in four numbers
All four figures come from St John Ambulance first aid guidance (primary survey, recovery position and baby recovery position pages).
When should you use the recovery position?
Use it when a person is not responding to you but is breathing normally, for example after passing out from drink, a faint that doesn’t pass, or a suspected spiking. Lying on their side keeps the airway open and lets any vomit drain out of the mouth instead of blocking their breathing. If they are not breathing normally, don’t use it: call 999 and start CPR.
How do you check if someone is breathing?
First make sure it’s safe to approach. Speak to them and gently shake their shoulders. If there’s no response, tilt the head back and lift the chin to open the airway. Put your ear above their mouth and look down at the chest: watch for movement, listen for breathing and feel for breath on your cheek, for no more than 10 seconds.
How to put someone in the recovery position, step by step
1. Kneel and straighten their legs
2. Near arm at a right angle
3. Other hand to the cheek
4. Far knee up, then roll
5. Open the airway
6. Call 999 and keep watching
What should you do if a friend is very drunk?
Stay with them, because they could choke on vomit or stop breathing. The NHS says to sit them up if they are awake, or put them in the recovery position if they have passed out. Give sips of water only if they are conscious, can swallow and aren’t being sick, and keep them warm with a jacket or blanket. Never leave them to “sleep it off” alone.
Do and don’t with a drunk or passed-out friend
When should you call 999, 111 or the police?
Call 999 if you think someone has alcohol poisoning, has had a seizure, has lost consciousness or has stopped breathing. Signs of alcohol poisoning include confusion, slurred speech, being sick, pale or blue-tinged skin and slow or irregular breathing. If you are worried about possible spiking symptoms but it isn’t an emergency, call 111. Not sure which number fits? See which number should I call.
Based on NHS alcohol poisoning advice, St John Ambulance guidance and Metropolitan Police spiking advice. This table is a quick guide; if in doubt, call 999.
What if you think they have been spiked?
Treat it as a medical problem first: tell venue staff or security, stay with your friend and keep talking to them, and call 999 if their symptoms get worse. Then report it to the police online, on 101, or on 999 in an emergency. Act quickly, because some drugs leave the body within 12 hours. Our drink spiking guide covers the signs and how to report it.
Is the recovery position different for children and babies?
For a baby under one year old, St John Ambulance advises cradling them in your arms with the head tilted downwards, so they can’t choke on or breathe in vomit, then calling 999 or 112 and watching their breathing until help comes. Children aged one and over have their own St John Ambulance guide, which is worth reading before you need it.
What if they might have a spinal injury?
If someone may have hurt their neck or back, for example after a fall, and they can’t keep their airway open lying as they are, St John Ambulance says you can still use the recovery position, keeping the head and spine in a straight line as far as possible. Their breathing comes first. Tell the 999 call handler about the fall.
Frequently asked questions
Either side works. Roll them towards you so you can keep watching their face. If they need to stay in the recovery position for more than 30 minutes, St John Ambulance advises rolling them onto the other side.
Not alone. The NHS warns that someone with alcohol poisoning can choke on vomit or stop breathing. Stay with them, put them in the recovery position if they pass out, and call 999 if you can’t wake them or their breathing is slow or irregular.
Heading out soon? Read our freshers’ week safety checklist and festival and concert safety checklist, and learn how to tell 999 exactly where you are.
Sources
- St John Ambulance: how to put someone in the recovery position
- St John Ambulance: primary survey (DR ABC)
- St John Ambulance: how to put a baby in the recovery position
- NHS: alcohol poisoning
- British Red Cross: someone unresponsive and breathing
- Metropolitan Police: spiking
General first aid information, not medical advice, and no substitute for a first aid course. In an emergency, always call 999.
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