Reducing Risks at a House Party.
Going to a party? We all love a good party. Everyone’s laughing and having a good time. There are often a lot of food to snack on and plenty of drinks to be had by everyone. It’s a chance to meet up with old friends, possibly meet new people and relax. It would be in your best interest to take care of yourself and the people around you. Although you will be enjoying yourself, you may encounter a few risks from drinking alcohol at a private party.
When you and the people around you are under the influence of alcohol, you really are not in control of yourself. Alcohol can often make some feel confident and fearless, which can often lead to impaired decision making. Alcohol consumption also slows your nervous system so you become less coordinated, have slower reflexes, and would have trouble having clear thoughts.
So, how can you drink alcohol but remain safe? Here are a few suggestions to consider:
Start the party off with a non-alcoholic drink to quench your thirst before you start with alcohol. Drinking water or other non-alcoholic drinks between alcoholic drinks also helps to reduce the alcohol intake.
Avoid participating in any drinking games as that often means a quicker consumption of alcohol.
Avoid drinking party punch as it may have a lot more alcohol than a typical standard drink. One glass of punch may equal 3 standard drinks.
Keep an eye on your drink at all times to ensure no-one tops up your drink so you end up drinking more than the standard glass without realizing it.
Eating food before and while drinking helps as food slows down the rate of when the alcohol enters the bloodstream.
If you have been drinking, avoid driving home. You may be past the legal limit after only two drinks, depending on the type of drink and your body size. And if you are a learner driver or probationary license holder, you must zero blood alcohol levels if you plan to drive.
When you are the host of a private party, you have a responsibility for the safety of yourself and the party guests. This doesn’t just mean so they don’t injure themselves on your property. It also means ensuring they can get home safely. This is where Not Your Child Corp comes in. They can provide single-use breathalyzers for each of your guests before they leave the party. The breathalyzers can help the host and guest determine their level of intoxication within 2 to 4 minutes. The accuracy is an excellent tool to judge whether they should be getting behind the wheel or not. It’s not just about legality to Not Your Child Corp, it’s also about safety.
Demonstrating to your guests how easy it is to use the breathalyzers and how important they are can really show them – including the next day – just how imperative it was for you to ensure they each got home safely and legally. The single-use breathalyzers are the perfect accompaniment to any private party, professional function or other celebration. And as they say at Not Your Child Corp; “When you feel different, you drive different. Drive Sober”.
Scott Marshall has spent over 30 years promoting road safety in many jurisdictions. He has been a road safety journalist since 2005. Scott was also an on-air judge on the Discovery Network’s Canada’s Worst Driver during their first 3 seasons on the air. Not YourChildCorp. is proud to have Scott @Safedriver as a frequent contributor, his insights are irreplaceable.
