Start Planning Early For A Safe New Year’s Eve

Posted on December 27, 2013

In less than a week, people across California and the rest of the world will be celebrating New Year’s Eve in myriad ways.  No doubt there will be a number of folks attending and throwing parties where alcoholic beverages will be served.  If you plan to take part in such festivities, you must do so with the utmost caution.  The government has released a series of tips that you should be aware of.

Let’s start with the precautions to take if you’re heading to a party.  The most important thing you can do is be responsible with your alcohol consumption.  That means making plans for lodging or transportation long before you head out your door to take part in the revelry.

If you’re going with a group, the best thing you can do is enlist a designated driver among you who can refrain from all alcoholic beverages that are being served at the party.  That way, you have someone who is not impaired at all who can get everyone in your group home safely.

Should a designated driver not be forthcoming, that still doesn’t mean that you can just chance it with the person who is most sober.  There are no degrees of sober; there is simply drunk and not drunk.  Give a taxi service a call to pick you up if need be; some communities have such services in place at cheap rates or even for free at this time of the year so that everyone can get home safely.  Or, if you have someone you can trust to come get you at the party, give them a call.

Something like a bus or train is acceptable transportation as well, but you can’t be rowdy on such modes of transport.  You have to be responsible even as your commute is ongoing.  Or you could always just plan ahead to stay at a hotel or at the residence of the person throwing the party.

If you’re the one putting on the show on New Year’s Eve, then it’s up to you to ensure that everyone is going to get home safely.  You should call your guests ahead of time and even set up people who can act as designated drivers.  These persons should be able to consume non-alcoholic concoctions so that they don’t feel left out of the proceedings and thus tempted to have a drink.  Cut guests off if they’ve drank too much, and make last call long before the party has drawn to a close.

Let your home act as accommodations to those who need them, and don’t let anyone who has drank alcohol get behind the wheel of a car.  By offering such protections, you can make your party and your guests as safe as they could possibly be.

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