Your Responsibility When Serving Alcohol to Guests – 719woman.com
I don’t know about you but when it comes to entertaining, we tend to do more so when the weather is warm and we can hang out on the deck; grilling, sipping drinks, and enjoying just being outdoors after the cold and snow of winter.
Regardless of the weather or even how many people you’re hosting, it’s important to remember that there is a responsibility on your part, to your guests, if you’re serving alcohol. Laws vary by state as to if you can be held liable if you serve alcohol to someone who then leaves your house and has an accident and hurts themselves or others. You can google “social host liability laws” in your state to see what the law is in your area.
My husband and I belong to AAA and with that membership comes their EnCompass magazine, which always has some great articles in it. Just this month I found an article with some important points to keep in mind when hosting and serving alcoholic drinks.
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One year my husband and I threw a party with about 100 people, with quite a few of those people being friends of friends. We knew the party was going to be loud, last late, and most likely, a few people would not be able to drive. We first of all, let all the neighbors know of the event because it would mean a lot of cars and traffic on our street. I also let them know how late the party was planned for and asked them to, if we got too loud, give me a call and I would take care of it. And then I also invited all the neighbors to the party.
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Another thing we did for that particular party was take everyone’s keys as they entered the house. Since there were so many people there it would be difficult for us to keep an eye on every single guest, the amount of alcohol they were consuming, and if they were actually capable of driving when they left. We kept the keys in a hat and as each guest left, they had to get their key from us, and we could then take stock of that person’s condition. There were a few cabs called that evening, some guests left with friends and picked up their cars the next day and a couple slept on our sofas. Friends don’t let friends drink and drive.
According to EnCompass by AAA Colorado May/June 2017 –
ENCOURAGE YOUR GUESTS to arrange for designated drivers.
PROVIDE PLENTY OF FOOD and non-alcoholic beverages for your guests.
STOP SERVING ALCOHOL well before the end of the party. Switch to non-alcoholic beverages such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and water.
DO NOT SERVE ALCOHOL TO GUESTS WHO ARE VISIBLY INTOXICATED, and never serve alcohol to minors.
LIMIT PARTY INVITATIONS to guests whom you know. Avoid allowing anyone into your home with whom you are unfamiliar.
INFORM YOUR NEIGHBORS that you’re hosting a party.
CONSIDER HIRING A PROFESSIONAL BARTENDER. Most bartenders are trained to recognize signs of intoxication, and can help to limit alcohol consumption.
ARRANGE A RIDE with a sober guest, call alternative transportation, or arrange for overnight accommodations if guests are intoxicated or too tired to drive home.
BE A RESPONSIBLE HOST and limit your own alcohol intake so you are better able to judge your guests’ sobriety.
In Colorado…