Social Responsibility 

Female drinkers

Women can't drink the same as men. Double standard or a fact?

Drinking & Safety

Responsible fun is also fun.

Be a responsible host

A responsible host goes beyond decorating and serving finger foods.
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Be a responsible host

Organizing parties and events are a lot of fun, especially when you see the end result. But the fun can easily be ruined when guests drink too much and get carried away. As a party host you might face awkward situations such as refusing to serve alcohol to an already drunk family member, friend or co-worker.

But there is no need to stress because controlling the flow of alcohol is easier than you think. Here are our tips to help you be a responsible host.

  • This method is not very common, but it might work well. When sending out your invitations, you could mention in the invitation that guests should bring their own designated driver.
     
  • Don’t do a self service bar. Since the affects of alcohol are progressive, the more people drink the bigger the drink they pour for themselves. "Control" every guest's access to the alcohol by hiring bartenders. Putting your cousins or male friends behind the bar, is a more common method. But keep in mind that most of the guests are either friends or relatives of your supposed “bartenders”. So they might be too generous with their portions. You should consider a professional bartender who won't be persuaded by the pleadings of someone wanting more alcohol. Moreover, a professional server is also much more likely to recognize when someone has had too much too drink and cut them off immediately.
     
  • Keep an eye on the minors. Make sure that’s just Sprite in their glass. If they are consuming alcohol, it must be with their parent or guardian’s consent. However, just to be safe as the host or hostess, avoid serving alcohol to minors.
     
  • Offer non-alcoholic beer and cocktails. If they are flavourful and refreshing, people might stick to these options and not care about the alcoholic drinks.
     
  • Try not to serve shots. This can easily lead to drinking competitions between guests. The first signs of intoxication are mental levels of impairment and lowered inhibitions, which lead to poor judgment. So when you here the words”Hey let’s do shots” stop them immediately.
     
  • Serving food while alcohol is consumed is always encouraged because the food will slow down the absorption of alcohol into the drinker's system. Another option is to have period of times during the party when alcohol is not being served. This will give guests the chance to process alcohol out of their system. You could create your own virgin cocktail that is especially made to be consumed during food service. Time can eliminate alcohol from a person's system, so the more time between drinks the better.
     
  • Planning entertainment that encourages participation is also a great way to slow down alcohol consumption. Even if someone doesn't participate, they generally will want to watch the activity. Watching will slow down everyone's drinking. The bar can also be shut down during this activity, as well.
     
  • It would probably be a good idea for the host not become intoxicated. Otherwise the whole purpose of being a responsible host is thrown out the window. Leading by example is still the single best tool to make sure that people drink responsibly.