When hosting a party with alcohol, you have to be mindful of the situation that your friends are getting into. You are inviting people over to your house to drink and then drive home. You might think that your friends are adults so they can make their own decisions; but as a friend, you should do what you can to minimize the chances of them driving drunk. Once people begin drinking, they don't always have the best decision-making skills. If you plan to host a party where you will be serving alcohol, make sure you know some great tips for reducing the chances of your friends driving home drunk.
Buy a Breathalyzer
Most people don't realize that breathalyzers aren't limited to police officers. Anyone can buy a breathalyzer. While the ones that the police use can be a little pricey, you can buy a little keychain breathalyzer from just about anywhere. Pharmacies, electronics stores, and big box stores all carry them. They're inexpensive, so you can even buy one for each of your friends as party favors if you want. It's a helpful thing to have for people who go out drinking and need to drive home. However, if you can't afford to supply your friends, you can buy yourself one and breath test your friends before they hop in the car to go home. If they blow above the legal limit, they'll know they need to relax and wait a little while longer before getting behind the wheel.
Require a Designated Driver
Require everyone who attends your party to have a designated driver. If they don't have a designated driver, don't allow them to drink. If you are having a large party and you're not sure you'll be able to keep track, get a washable marker to mark the hands of people who can drink. This way, you don't have to worry about accidentally serving someone who doesn't have a designated driver or someone who is the designated driver. As people enjoy the night, you can peek at the hands of those who are drinking and make sure one of their hands is marked.
Throw a Camping Party
Tell your friends that if they drink, they are required to spend the night. Pitch some tents in your backyard and have a camping party. What can be more fun than cocktails, tents, and a bonfire? To keep track of who is drinking and who is going home, you can have people turn in their keys when they get their first drink. Put the keys in your bedroom and tell people they can't have them back until morning. This way, there is no confusion about who has been drinking and who can drive home.
Serve in Small Glasses
People tend to drink their drinks more quickly when they're served in large glasses. When people have small portions, they try to savor it much longer. Don't give people giant drinks just to impress them. Stick to wine glasses, martini glasses, and six-ounce tumblers. You can even serve drinks at certain times. Do the first round as people arrive and then serve the second round an hour later. This will keep the ones who would down their drinks quickly from constantly refilling.
Issue Drink Tickets
Create drink tickets for your guests. You can give everyone two tickets, and they have to turn in their ticket when they get a drink. This will ensure that everyone is limited to two drinks and no one is going to end up getting too drunk. Have a last call an hour before the party is going to end so no one turns in their last drink ticket right before driving home.
Everyone is responsible for their own decisions. As a party host, you are responsible for allowing certain decisions to be made. Make sure you do everything you can to minimize drunk driving. If people drive drunk, they can hurt themselves or other innocent drivers. They can lose their license, their job, and even receive jail time. If this happens, they will want to hire a lawyer from a firm like Chichester Law Office to represent them.
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