Everybody loves parties, and alcohol is always a great way to loosen up and have fun. When you are a host, you want to ensure that your guests are having a good time. At the end of the evening, though, you may have to handle the affairs of guests who drank a little too much. If they have expressed plans to drive home, but you know that they are drunk, it is your responsibility to prevent them from taking action that could be dangerous.
Provide alternative ways to get home
A recent study by Angela Dills and Sean Mulholland found that ridesharing services have been a factor in decreasing DUI arrests and deaths. If your party guests are too drunk to drive, this is a great way to get them home without putting anybody at risk. You can call rides for your friends from a local taxi service, too, and ensure they get home safely. This is one of the best ways to curb the opportunity for friends to drive drunk.
Serve foods that slow intoxication
Ridesharing is great for guests who are already drunk, but in some cases, you can prevent fast intoxication by serving snacks that will slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Pairing alcohol with other drinks such as water or juice may accomplish this. As for foods, choose snacks that are rich in protein and fat. Having food in your stomach can substantially decrease the rate at which you become drunk, and your guests will simply enjoy the snacks.
Offer activities unrelated to drinking
If the primary focus of your party is drinking and getting drunk, you are likely going to have problems getting guests home safely. Rather than making it the sole activity of the night, develop other things to do that are unrelated to alcohol. This offers the opportunity to have fun without necessarily getting drunk, and it allows everybody attending to get involved.
Offer breath testing to gauge blood alcohol content
If you want to take a straightforward approach to preventing drunk driving, you can do so by providing a breath testing device that will allow guests to check their blood alcohol content levels. This can eliminate any guesswork as to whether or not somebody is capable of driving themselves home, and it can also be a good resource for encouraging guests to pace their drinking.
Driving drunk is a serious matter and an action that should be avoided at all costs. If you have been involved in an accident that involved alcohol, contacting a lawyer can help you understand your legal options.