RISE Blog | How to Party Safely

By: Kai McDonald, Peer Educator
July 14th, 2023

Going out to a party can be a fun and social event for many to de-stress or engage with friends after a long week. However, the phrase “drink” or “party responsibly” is not too far-fetched, as going out can sometimes be a slippery slope to a dangerous situation. It's okay to go out and have fun, but there are tips and tricks to keep your night safe for yourself and others. This blog will cover some important alcohol and party safety tips to help ensure a fun and safe night.

Pacing

If you or a friend decide to drink during a night out, pacing can help monitor alcohol consumption and help prevent reaching high or dangerous levels of intoxication too quickly. The body can only process one standard drink per hour, so a good rule of thumb is the “one-in-one rule” or one standard drink per hour (Princeton University, 2023). A standard drink is not how many times you fill your cup, but rather the roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol found in a specific beverage.

That can sound a little confusing at first but here is how it's broken down. Different kinds of alcohol will contain different amounts of pure alcohol per ounce. About 14 grams of pure alcohol is in:

12 fluid ounces (fl oz) of regular beer
5 fl oz of table wine
~2.5 fl oz of cordial, liqueur, or aperitif
1.5 fl oz of brandy, cognac, and distilled spirits (gin, rum, tequila, vodka, whiskey, etc.)

So, you decide to have a 12 fl oz glass of beer and a cocktail made with 3 fl oz (or 2 shots) of vodka. Even though you drank two glasses, you really had 3 standard drinks. Being aware of standard drink measurements can help with pacing your alcohol consumption. You can keep track by making a tally mark or noting it somewhere on your phone every time you have one standard drink. This is a good way to pace yourself and monitor your Blood Alcohol Content or BAC. Remember that a BAC of .08% is when someone is defined as being legally impaired (Cleveland Clinic, 2023).

Alcohol Poisoning

Even after pacing ourselves, sometimes we can drink a little more intended and that's okay, it happens. But once you or someone else is reaching higher levels of intoxication, knowing the signs of alcohol poisoning is important, it can potentially save your life or someone else's. These signs include:

Confusion
Vomiting
Seizures
Slow breathing (less than eight breaths a minute)
Irregular breathing (Such as a gap of more than 10 seconds between breaths)
Skin that looks blue, gray, or pale.
Lower body temperature (hypothermia)
Trouble staying conscious or awake.

A person does not need to exhibit all of the above symptoms in order to seek medical help, someone who has passed and or can't wake up with alcohol poisoning could face serious injury or even death (Mayo Clinic, 2023).

What To Do

If someone is showing signs of alcohol poisoning, there are multiple steps you can take to help the person of concern. Act right away and don't be afraid to seek help, if there is concern about legal trouble, Senate Bill 1331 or the 911 Lifeline Legislation provides limited immunity in case underage drinkers need to call for help. Note that this limited immunity is granted only to the first person who calls for help and they must remain on the scene (Granger & Mueller, 2019). 911 Lifeline Legislation only provides immunity against underage drinking charges, don't hesitate to look this legislation up to learn more about its protections and limitations.

Call 911 and be prepared to give out information, such as symptoms, what kind of alcohol the person was drinking, etc. Never leave an unconscious person alone, they have a risk of throwing up and alcohol poisoning affects the way the gag reflex works. Someone with alcohol poisoning could vomit and choke. Do not try to make the person of concern throw up, as this may induce choking (Mayo Clinic, 2023). Keep the person warm with a blanket or jacket as they might experience hypothermia. If the person is not able to sit up on their own, an important tool to use is the recovery position.

The Recovery Position

If a person is unconscious, it is extremely important to place them in the recovery position. This position helps keep their airway clear and open, it also helps ensure that vomit or fluids won't cause them to choke. Here is a step-by-step of how to place someone in this position:

Roll the person on their side, taking the arm that they are laying on and extending it out, with the palm facing up.
Take their other arm and fold it under their head, their cheek resting on the hand.
Take their outlet and bend it so the knee can protect the person from rolling on their stomach. Leave their other leg extended fully.
Slightly tilt the head up so that the airway is open, making sure the cheek is resting on the hand tucked underneath.
Place a blanket or coat over the person and stay with them until help arrives (NHS, 2022).

Stay Safe

Going out for a night of fun should be well-equipped with the proper safety tips and information listed above. Pacing yourself and recognizing the dangers and symptoms of alcohol poisoning, while also knowing what to do in that scenario, can reduce harm to yourself and to others. Don't be afraid to have fun, but always remember to party safely and responsibly.