Partying safely
HAVE A SAFE PARTY
Parties are designed to be fun, but it's no fun if you are over the legal alcohol limit and are killed in a road crash or pulled over by the police on the way home.
These few tips will help make sure you arrive home safely.
TIPS FOR PARTY GOERS
- Plan ahead and decide how many drinks you will have.
- If you intend to have a few drinks, plan to catch a bus, cab or a lift with someone who has not been drinking - or stay the night!
- Finish each drink before you have another - avoid top-ups.
- Only time will sober you up. Food, coffee, a cold shower, fresh air or vomiting won't.
- Alternate alcoholic and non or low alcohol drinks.
- Eat before and while you drink to fill your stomach and reduce the amount of drinks you have. Avoid salty foods as this will only make you thirsty
- Remember that after a big night you can still have alcohol in your system, so don't be in a rush to get behind the wheel. Chances are you will still be over the limit. Better still if you plan to have a few drinks, don't drive.
TIPS FOR PARTY HOSTS
- Make sure you have plenty of non-alcohol and low alcohol drinks and mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails) available.
- Have a variety of foods available. Don't just have salty foods available, as this makes people thirsty.
- Don't top up people's glasses with alcoholic drinks - let them finish their drink and ask for a refill. This will help them keep a track of how much they have had to drink.
- If you think someone has had too much to drink, arrange a lift home for them with someone who hasn't been drinking, call them a cab, or let them stay for the night.
- Encourage people to plan ahead. Ask them if they intend to have a few drinks, how they are going to get home if they don't intend to stay the night. Ask them how much they will drink, whether they plan on driving, or whether they will stay the night.
- Try to organise a driver who will not drink to drive friends home.
- Be a creative host and provide entertainment - this will reduce the amount of time to consume alcohol.
Previous page: Alcohol
Next page: Drink spiking