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Cheers to Ringing in the New Year Safely






Before you gather with family and friends to ring in the New Year, make sure you’ve made plans to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.


Going out to celebrate?

  1. Make a plan to get home safely. If you plan on drinking, designate a non-drinking driver ahead of time and leave your keys at home, or program the phone number of a friend or local taxi service to your phone.
  2. Pace yourself. Pay attention to how much alcohol you are consuming
  3. Stay hydrated. Alternate alcoholic drinks with water.
  4. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. They’ll thank you for it.
  5. Never get in a car with someone who has been drinking. There’s always another way to get home safely! It’s not worth the risk.
  6. If you see someone driving drunk, call the police. Getting drunk drivers off the roads prevents tragedies and saves lives.



Hosting a party?

  1. Make sure to keep all alcohol, festive foods, chocolates, floral arrangements and party decorations away from your pets.  Anytime there is alcohol, food, and people celebrating, it can be a hazard for your furry family members.
  2. Be a responsible and sober host. Limiting your own alcohol intake will allow you to better determine if a guest is sober enough to drive at the end of the night.
  3. Food is the key.  Have plenty of food on hand, and make sure platters of hors d'oeuvres are kept fresh. Foods with protein, such as meats and cheese, help buffer the effects of alcohol.
  4. Provide non-alcoholic beverages and plenty of water. Offer water, coffee, or other non-alcoholic spacers between drinks.
  5. Know and watch for the 50 likely signs of visible intoxication, combinations of the signs, and changes in behavior.
  6. Count the number of drinks, not glasses, each guest has.
  7. Wait until a guest finishes a drink before offering another.
  8. Serve one drink per person at a time.
  9. Do not push drinks.
  10. Have designated drivers. Plan to have sober drivers at your party who can escort folks home. Volunteer to be a sober driver at someone else’s party.
  11. Don’t serve alcohol to minors. The legal drinking age is 21. As the host, it is your responsibility to make sure minors aren’t drinking.
  12. Be aware of Oregon's Social Host laws.  As a social host, if you serve visibly intoxicated persons or guests, you may be held liable for damages caused by the persons or guests away from your home or licensed premises (ORS 471.565) 

Cheers to celebrating responsibly! Happy New Year!

Comments

  1. Doug BrownDecember 30, 2014 at 2:19 PM

    2015 is going to be a great year in Oregon. Good fishing, superb dining and good friends. If you drink over the New Year Holiday and choose to drive, by all means drive responsibly. I personally do not drink, but I am certainly looking forward to the soon legal availability of marijuana in Oregon. How fantastic to smoke legally in my living room! I'm 65, with a relaxing water pipe, some good music (Mahler, Bach, or Mortin Lauridsen) a cedar-scented candle, I know I'll feel young again, and even better know that I'm not breaking the law.

    ReplyDelete

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