Safe Party Planning

To be safe as well as entertaining, parties that include alcohol require a plan. As a host, you are responsible for your guests until they are sober.

You can be held legally accountable for your guests even if you did not serve them a drop of alcohol yourself.

You Are Liable

For more information on your legal responsibilities as a party host, please check the following websites:

• CAMH  - Having a Party? This is what may go wrong. You could be left with more than leftover food to clean up the next morning.
• MADD  - Being Sued can ruin a good party.
• APOLNET - Let's Take Action on Alcohol Problems in the Workplace
• MADD  - Keeping Good Company: An Employers' Guide to Understanding and Avoiding Alcohol Liability
• Project Health - Resources regarding host liability and tips to reduce your risk as a host.

Strategies for a Safe Party

Advice for the Host

The most important thing the host can do is to remain sober and stay alert for possible problems:

• Smart Serve

Before the party begins, enlist someone reliable to be prepared to help you keep things under control.

Have a bowl for everyone to put their keys in when they arrive. This can help diffuse situations later, as you may have to take keys away from guests who are impaired, but think they are capable of driving.

Non-alcoholic drinks

In addition to flavoured water and soft drinks, mocktails are tasty, non-alcoholic drinks that can be served at a party.

They are ideal for anyone, including pregnant or breastfeeding women, people on medication and children. It is good experience for children to see adults having a party without alcohol.

Mocktails are fun to make and provide an activity during the party.

For big parties, large batches of mocktails or punch can be served in punch bowls. Most cookbooks include good punch recipes, and hot apple cider served in a crock pot is delicious, too.

For mocktail recipes, check the Ontario Community council on Impared Driving website.

Food

Keep your guests filled with food. It helps slow the passage of alcohol into the bloodstream and therefore reduces the rate at which intoxication occurs.

Avoid salty snack foods like chips as they make people thirsty and they then drink more.

Throughout the evening, serve a variety of nutritious foods such as vegetables and dip and cheese with low-salt crackers. Many stores sell party trays of prepared food if you don't have time to set them up yourself.

Bartender / Dedicated Server

• Have one person in charge of the bar so that he or she can be aware of how much people each person drinks.
• Close the bar early and serve coffee or herbal teas as non-alcoholic alternatives.

How to Get Guests Home Safely

• Don't let your guests drink and drive.
• Promote the use of a designated driver.
• Send an email or verbally invite guests to stay overnight, or have money available to send them home in taxis.