With the holidays fast approaching, holiday gathering invites will be filling up our inboxes, DM’s and mailboxes too. Holiday parties are great way to celebrate the season with family and friends and often these celebrations involve a variety of cocktails to toast the occasion.
Did you know? As a party host, you may be held liable if guests leave your home intoxicated and are involved in an accident causing harm or injury.
If you are planning to host a holiday event with your family and friends this season with alcoholic beverages on the menu, check out these tips to keep your guests safe and reduce your risks as the party host.
- Drink moderately or don’t drink at all. The more you drink, the more difficult it will be for you to identify and resolve potential problems. You will have greater control when you have not been drinking and can think clearly and act quickly if needed.
- Serve alcohol instead of having an open bar. Some people may drink more if they are given unlimited access to free alcohol.
- If you are serving alcohol, offer standard drinks or drinks that are smaller than a standard size. What is a Standard Drink Size?
- Avoid serving doubles or shooters. Don’t encourage your guests to drink alcohol or rush to refill their glasses. Don’t permit drinking games or contests. Never offer guests “one for the road” right before they leave the party or event.
- Serve food throughout the event. Eating while drinking is better than drinking on an empty stomach, as food slows down the speed at which the body absorbs the alcohol. Offer veggies, cheeses and light dips. Avoid providing salty, sweet or greasy foods, as they tend to make people thirstier.
- Offer low-alcohol and alcohol-free cocktails and other drinks, including water, when you serve alcohol. You can find great recipes for non-alcoholic/mocktails here.
- Decide in advance how you will deal with guests who drink too much. Before the party begins, ask friends to be non-drinking helpers.
- Don’t serve alcohol before planned physical activities, like swimming, skiing, snowmobiling, boating or skating. The more people drink, the worse their co-ordination and judgment become, and the more likely they are to injure themselves or others. If you plan to serve alcohol, do so after guests have finished their physical activities.
- Try to prevent guests from becoming intoxicated. Stop serving alcohol or discourage guests from drinking well before the party is scheduled to end. Make sure that you have enough food and alcohol-free drinks available for later in the party.
- Make sure that a guest who has had too much alcohol gets home safely. As a host, be prepared to ask for a guest’s car keys or invite your guest to stay overnight. Know your designated drivers. Are they sober? Have cash and phone numbers ready for taxis.
- Be prepared to call the police for help if a guest is obviously intoxicated and insists on driving or if the party is getting out of hand.
Source(s): https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/guides-and-publications/having-a-party
For more Addiction Awareness and Prevention resources please visit: https://www.cafconnection.ca/Kingston/Adults/Health/Health-Promotion/Resources-and-Links.aspx
To further reduce your risk try these delicious mocktail recipes! Switching it up between cocktails and mocktails can be an option to decrease your alcohol consumption. It also provides a great variety of taste!
