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Party Season

by Stuart O'Brien, DEFGLIS Board Member

As another year comes to an end and the silly season is upon us, I thought it was time that we all stop and think before we start planning our Christmas and New Years Eve parties.

Parties are designed to be fun, but it's no fun if you are pulled over by the police on the way home or end up in hospital.

Here are a few tips that will help make sure you arrive home safely.

Tips for party goers:

  • Plan ahead and decide how many drinks you will have.
  • If you intend to have a few drinks, don't drive. Plan to catch a cab or a lift with someone who has not been drinking, or stay the night.
  • Finish each drink before you have another – avoid top-ups.
  • Only time will sober you up. Food, coffee, a cold shower, fresh air or vomiting won't.
  • Alternate alcoholic drinks with water, soft drinks or low-alcohol drinks.
  • Eat before and while you drink to fill your stomach and reduce the amount of drinks you consume. Avoid salty foods as this will only make you thirsty.
  • Remember that after a big night you can still have alcohol in your system, so don't be in a rush to get behind the wheel. Chances are, you will still be over the limit the next morning.

 

Tips for party hosts:

  • Make sure you have plenty of non-alcohol and low-alcohol drinks available.
  • Have a variety of foods available. Don't just provide salty foods as this makes people thirsty.
  • Don't top up people's glasses with alcoholic drinks – let them finish their drink and ask for a refill. This will help them keep a track of how much they have had to drink.
  • If you think someone has had too much to drink, arrange a lift home for them with someone who hasn't been drinking, call them a cab, or let them stay for the night.
  • Encourage people to plan ahead. Ask them if they intend to have a few drinks, how they are going to get home if they don't intend to stay the night. Ask them how much they will drink, whether they plan on driving, or whether they will stay the night.
  • Try to organise a sober driver to ferry guests home.
  • Be a creative host and provide entertainment – this will reduce the amount of time guests will be consuming alcohol.

Most of all, enjoy yourself but look after each other. One thing we value most in the Australian Defence Force and in Australian culture is Mateship.

Stay safe.