Alcohol – How to Have a Safe Holiday

Having a few festive drinks is, for some, a fun and indispensable part of celebrating the holidays. But it’s important to stay safe, and that means understanding your limits. Here are some ideas regarding how to know when you’ve had too much and how to avoid it, how to handle driving, and other pointers.

How Much Is Too Much?

This varies from person to person, and also according to the type of alcohol and size of the drink. If you aren’t sure where your limits are, recruit a friend to watch for the signs and tell you.

Tips on Keeping Alcohol Consumption Low

If you want to have alcoholic drinks but not too many, consider lessening the amount of alcohol you put into a mixed drink or adding water or seltzer to wine. Here are some other tips.

* If you are hosting the party, make sure there are both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available.

* Serve lots of high-protein, high-carb foods such as whole grain crackers and cheese, or whole grain finger sandwiches with various meats. These snacks help the body absorb alcohol more slowly. Just try not to serve salty snacks, which encourage people to drink more.

* Don’t “advertise” the alcohol at your party; if you make it the central theme, guests may be more likely to overindulge.

* As a guest, make sure you eat lots of snacks before and during drinking, even before going to the party in case the host/hostess doesn’t provide much to eat.

* Set limits for yourself ahead of time, so you aren’t “winging it” and trying to decide your limit as you go.

* Drink slowly; don’t gulp down alcoholic drinks. If you’re thirsty, satisfy your thirst with non-alcoholic drinks first, and then go for the alcoholic drink when you’re not thirsty. Sources suggest limiting your drinking to one drink an hour.

* Don’t follow wine or liquor with something bubbly like champagne or beer. The carbonation has been said to cause a too-rapid absorption of the alcohol into your system.

Drivers

If you are hosting a party, consider asking some friends to act as designated drivers in case someone has too much to drink. As a guest, make sure you refuse to ride with a driver who has been drinking, and consider designating your own driver(s) before the event.

More Tips for Hosts and Hostesses

If necessary, allow drinkers to stay overnight. Consider putting the alcohol away about an hour before the party ends, so that guests have time to “sober up” a bit before going home. Serve coffee or chocolate during that last hour to help keep guests wakeful.