Plan the Perfect Holiday Party: Safety Tips You Need to Know
Hosting Memorable Holiday Parties: Celebrate Safely and Responsibly
By Khushi Chhaya, Intern
National District Attorneys Association
The holiday season is a time for family, friends, and celebration. Festivities fill December as we approach the new year, creating cherished moments and memories. Although holiday gatherings are a fun and important part of the season, they open the opportunity to overindulge in alcohol, increasing the risk of dangerous impaired driving and endangering everyone on the road. This isn’t a call to cancel your annual celebrations — far from it! With a few thoughtful choices, hosts can create a fun and safe environment for guests while helping to minimize the risk of impaired driving.
Here are seven simple steps to ensure your holiday celebrations are both enjoyable and responsible:
1. Offer plenty of non-alcoholic beverage options
Some guests don’t drink alcohol, and others may prefer non-alcoholic alternatives or additions. A variety of drinks can better cater to everyone’s preferences, and non-alcoholic beverages can still be delicious and festive. Themed mocktails, soda, and sparkling water are always great options!
2. Serve food alongside drinks
Encouraging guests to eat while they drink is an important step hosts can take to reduce the risk of alcohol overconsumption and impaired driving. Serving appetizers, snacks, or even a full meal helps slow alcohol absorption. Cheese boards or festive snacks pair nicely with drinks while also helping guests pace their alcohol consumption.
3. Be mindful of drink service
Small considerations such as serving alcoholic beverages in smaller glasses or not constantly topping up guests’ drinks can make a significant impact when it comes to reducing impaired driving risks.
4. Plan for transportation
To make it easy for guests to get home, designating drivers, carpooling, and providing information about ride-share options are all great ways to ensure that no one is driving while intoxicated. Drunk and drugged driving not only poses risks for the driver but for everyone else on the roads, as well. If needed, offering your couch to a guest who needs it for the night can also be a helpful step to take.
5. Consider hiring a bartender
Hiring a bartender can help in managing drink service, keeping track of how much alcohol guests are consuming, and ensuring that no one is over-served. Bartenders can also help mix festive cocktails and mocktails and make it easier to offer a variety of drinks.
6. Plan activities
Planning activities other than drinking can be a helpful way to take the emphasis of the event off drinking. Holiday-themed games, karaoke, dancing, or even cookie decorating can all be fun additions to the party and encourage guests to mingle and spend quality time with one another.
7. Have a back-up plan
Should problems arise, it’s important to have contingency plans in place to ensure the safety of guests and reduce the risk of impaired driving. If a guest appears to be intoxicated and unable to drive safely, being willing to step in and help them find a safe way to get home is crucial not only for their safety but for other drivers as well.
The holiday season can be a fun time to celebrate with family and friends while still putting safety first. By taking thoughtful steps when planning events, hosts can ensure a memorable experience while minimizing impaired driving risks.
Wishing you all a fun and festive holiday season!
About the National Traffic Law Center:
The National District Attorneys Association’s National Traffic Law Center (NTLC) is a resource designed to benefit prosecutors, judges, law enforcement officers and others in the justice system. The mission of NTLC is to improve the quality of justice in traffic safety adjudications by increasing the awareness of highway safety issues through the compilation, creation and dissemination of legal and technical information, and by providing training and reference services.