Party Know-How

The best way to prevent problems is to stop them before they happen. Check out these ideas before you party:

• Make sure you have food at the party. People who are eating will likely drink less because they feel more full and they're busy eating! Try to include snacks that aren't too salty (chips and pretzels leave people feeling thirsty and they may drink more.)
• Provide lots of non-alcoholic drinks.
• Alcohol can be a deadly mix with activities like swimming, boating, skiing, and snowmobiling. If you're having a party, close the pool and ask a couple of trusted friends to watch that guests don't try to get in the pool anyway.
• Invite the people you want to attend. Smaller parties are easier to manage. Ask a couple of people to back you up at the door to deal with uninvited people. If uninvited people won't leave, you should know that you can call the police for help. You owe it to your friends who are there to have a good time, to your family to protect their property and to yourself.
• Plan a focus to the party, other than drinking. Don't tolerate drinking contests. Binge drinking can lead to alcohol poisoning.
• If you are going to have alcohol at your party, decide how you will control access to the drinks. Where will the alcohol be available? Who will serve it? The idea is to prevent problems before they happen. Setting up a bar with a sober server means that you can help limit people who are drinking a lot.
• Have a plan in place to ensure that friends who have been drinking get home safely. Call a taxi for them, have a designated non-drinking driver or plan for friends to stay over at your place.
• Make an agreement with a trusted adult who you can call if you have a problem during the party.

Stay sober. You need to rely on your good judgment and clear thinking to make your party a success.