Health and Fitness : 5 TIPS FOR A SAFE HOLIDAY PARTY

By David Condry, Above The Influence Coalition

During the holidays, many people look forward to celebrating with their family and friends, and serving alcohol is often a part of that celebration. To ensure that everyone remains safe and enjoys their holiday gatherings, it is always important to take the extra time for necessary planning. Simply taking additional steps to be vigilant and responsible will ensure a positive experience for everyone this holiday season.

As you plan and hold your gathering consider these steps:

* Offer drink options for your guests other than alcohol. A fun option is to provide cocktail drinks without alcohol in them. This allows those who are not drinking to enjoy the party while not consuming alcohol.

* Offer food, especially foods that are high in protein and/or fat like meat and cheese. These help slow the rate at which alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream and the effects it has on the people at your gathering.

* Offer food longer than alcohol. Simply stop serving alcohol prior to the end of the gathering to allow your guest time to ingest more food into their system, limiting the effect that alcohol may be having on them before they leave.

* Select a designated bartender or someone responsible to monitor the alcohol. If you have underage guests, this is an important step to take so that anyone under 21 is not consuming any alcohol during the night. This also helps to keep guest from becoming overly intoxicated and causing potential issues at your gathering or when they leave.

* As the host of any gathering, set down strict rules for drinking and driving. The goal of any gathering is to have a good time with those you care about, so help to ensure their safety by making sure nobody leaves that has had too much to drink. Ideas include everyone turning in their keys at the start of the party so you can make sure they are able to drive home before they leave, or encourage everyone that plans to drink to have a designated driver. If necessary, go as far as taking people home yourself or giving them a place to stay until they are able to drive safely.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Benton County Above The Influence Coalition.