How to Serve Alcohol Responsibly Over the Holidays

The holidays are a time when everyone wants to relax and enjoy themselves, and for many, that includes holiday drinking. However, in the spirit of celebration, we don't always prioritize responsible drinking, which can lead to some not-so-great behavior.

If you’re hosting (or attending!) a gathering between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, you need to give some thought to holiday party safety in general and alcohol safety, specifically. We’ll cover why and how below.

 

How Big a Problem is Holiday Drinking?

Holiday drinking is a significant safety problem. Let’s look at the numbers throughout the holiday season.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), 36% of traffic fatalities during Thanksgiving involved an alcohol-impaired driver. You might think that the danger is mainly on Thursday as people head home from their holiday meal or Friday during the shopping rush, but “Thanksgiving Eve” is actually the deadliest day to drive. Keep this in mind if you’re hosting an early Friendsgiving.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), December drunk driving deaths hit a 15-year high in 2022. The worst concentration of accidents happen after December 13th, as holiday celebrations ramp up.

But New Year’s is – to no one’s surprise – the worst night of the year for responsible drinking. According to NHTSA data, New Year’s Eve sees three times as many fatal alcohol-involved crashes than the average night during the rest of the year.

The main dilemma presented by holiday drinking is that people are more likely to drink and more likely to overindulge. People who drink little throughout the rest of the year will partake, and they may not be as aware of their limits and level of intoxication. In other cases, regular drinkers might get carried away or find themselves in a situation they normally avoid. For example, taxi services may be hard to procure, so driving buzzed might seem more tempting. Winter weather certainly doesn’t help matters.

 

Why Host Responsibly?

Naturally, you want all your friends and family to have a great time and get home safely.

But if you need an incentive to be extra careful, here it is: you can be held legally liable for guests’ actions.

If minors get ahold of a drink at your party – or, in some states, if you overserve an adult and someone gets hurt – you could be held liable for any personal injuries, medical expenses, property damage, or wrongful death that occurs.

More than two-thirds of all states have social host liability laws of some kind. In most cases, these laws allow civil suits against private hosts who serve alcohol irresponsibly. These laws are similar to dram shop laws that apply to bars and restaurants – typically, only a wronged third party can sue, not the intoxicated person themselves.

However, in some states, violating host responsibility laws can also result in criminal penalties charged by the state. For example, Massachusetts allows the levying of $2,000 fines and up to a year in jail.

Even in states that have no social host liability, you may be liable under common negligence laws.

Holiday parties are often family mixed-age affairs, which makes it important to keep alcohol out of the hands of those under 21. In some states, private hosts are only liable if they furnish alcohol to minors, but in others, they’re liable if minors are drinking on the premises at all, regardless of where they got the booze.

Even if your guests are all drinking-age adults, you want to practice alcohol safety to be sure no one drives drunk, gets alcohol poisoning, or makes a mistake they can’t take back.

 

How to Promote Holiday Party Safety

Now that you understand why any alcohol-serving party host should protect themselves from liability, how do you do so without being a total buzzkill?

Know the Facts

There are a lot of myths out there about what affects your level of intoxication and how to sober up faster, so it’s important to know what’s true and what’s a dangerous misconception.

For example, certain actions – like drinking coffee or splashing cold water – will help you “feel” more sober but won’t actually lower your blood alcohol content (BAC).

Knowledge is the best weapon in your host responsibility arsenal.

Offer Food Before and During Drinks

Drinking alcohol with a full stomach slows its absorption, so encouraging guests to eat before (and as) they start in on the bubbly can prevent intoxication. Provide lots of snack options throughout the night so that everyone can find something they want to graze on.

Eating after alcohol consumption won’t actually sober you up, but it can occupy a guest long enough for their body to clear their blood alcohol.

Standardize Drink Strength

Serving a strong drink might sound like the way to your guests’ hearts, but this can lead to accidental overconsumption even with people who know their limits. There’s a reason bartenders measure the alcohol in a mixed drink.

Your guests can regulate their own consumption more reliably if you’re serving standard drinks.

Avoid Binge Activities

Restrict guests to only one drink at a time. Discourage drinking games, contests, shots, or rapid drinking.

Offer Alternatives

Offer soft drinks, fruit juices, water, and coffee so your guests can alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to regulate their blood alcohol. If you’re offering cocktails, include some mocktail options so everyone can still enjoy the experience.

Look for Signs of Intoxication

Monitor guests for signs of intoxication to determine if they’ve had too much or need to slow down for a while. This is especially important as the party winds down or as individuals leave early.

Have a Breathalyzer On Hand

The problem with judging someone’s intoxication based on their symptoms is that people with a “high tolerance” will show fewer symptoms even if they’re over the legal limit.

This is why having a breathalyzer can be the ultimate tool for holiday party safety. You’ll have an objective measure of safety, and if someone’s BAC is too high to drive, it’s an undeniable fact.

This measure sounds extreme, but it doesn’t have to involve a bouncer at the door refusing to let people out. Taking a breathalyzer test is a novelty for many people, and you can make a game of it. You can also combine this with the socially accepted “hand over your keys” trick to ensure that no one drives home under the influence.

Cut Friends Off

Don’t be afraid to stop serving alcohol to anyone who is visibly intoxicated or consuming more than is safe. Most people respond well to gentle suggestions or discouragement, but some guests may need you to be blunt and firm.

Refusing service is important even if the guest is not driving; drunk driving isn’t the only way an impaired guest can cause injury to themselves or others.

Provide Alternatives to Driving Home

Plan ahead and be prepared to provide alternate solutions for impaired guests.

This may include:

• Asking groups or couples who their designated driver is as they arrive
• Having someone volunteer to DD any guests that need to be taken home
• Call someone an Uber, Lyft, or taxi on your own dime or theirs
• Offer them a place to spend the night

Although you don’t want to embarrass intoxicated guests, it can be helpful to have witnesses to your suggestions and offers in case they refuse and cause a problem that’s out of your control. Being able to prove that you took steps to host responsibly is an important part of avoiding liability.

 

Learn More Through Responsible Alcohol Service Training

Although you may be new to the process of hosting responsibly, the hospitality industry has needed to tackle these problems for decades with their business on the line.

Most businesses require bartenders and servers to go through responsible alcohol server training in order to learn what affects blood alcohol content, the signs of intoxication, local regulations that apply, how to track guests’ drinking, and how to gracefully refuse service and deescalate contact.

Online courses like TIPS provide practical solutions at a reasonable price, and they’re not restricted to professionals. If you want to bolster your knowledge and reduce your liability, you can purchase a TIPS passport today and educate yourself in alcohol safety.

Enroll today!