Whether you have Christmas parties to attend or are already getting excited for New Year’s Eve, you will likely get together with friends and family as the year starts coming to a close. In addition to thinking of resolutions and goals for the coming year, you may also be thinking of the fun you want to have before closing out 2019.
If some of your fun will involve consuming alcohol, you certainly want to do so responsibly. If you have found yourself having a bit too much to drink at parties in the past or giving in to peer pressure to drink more than you intended, you may want to work on ways to moderate your drinking or at least have a responsible drinking plan in place.
How you can avoid mishaps?
Wanting to drink responsibly does not mean that you have to abstain from alcohol entirely. You may simply need to pay attention to how much you can drink without going over your personal limit (or the legal limit for that matter). Some tips for drinking responsibly this holiday season and beyond include the following:
- Set a drinking limit: If you are going to a party, you may want to set a limit of only having a drink or two. It may help to tell a trustworthy friend about your limit so that person can help you stick to it.
- Have a plan for getting home: Whenever alcohol is involved, it is wise to have a plan for getting home. Even if you do not intend to drink enough to impair your driving abilities, you may still need to have a designated driver or a pre-booked ride share to prevent you from getting behind the wheel if you have a few too many.
- Do not give in to peer pressure: Your friends may think they are only trying to help you have more fun by telling you to drink more, but giving in to peer pressure could result in you becoming intoxicated when you had no intention of doing so.
- Pace yourself: It is easy to start knocking back drinks quickly in a social setting, especially when others are drinking. However, instead of having one drink after another, you may want to sip and pace yourself throughout the party.
Of course, even individuals with the best of intentions can make mistakes. If you do find yourself pulled over by a Nebraska police officer after you have had a few drinks, you could end up facing a DUI charge. If so, you may want to remember that you have legal options for addressing such an ordeal.