|
Party On (Responsibly)! |
 |
If You Decide to Stay Sober...
Good for you! You have made the best choice. You have also made the most popular choice. Believe it or not, more teens
will spend their New Year's Eve sober than in any other state. Admirable to say the least. However, the choice you have made
leaves you in a unique position if you are attending an event where others have not decided to stay sober. While you
are set to have a safer evening for yourself, your sobriety does not automatically mean a safe evening for those around you.
In order to make sure that the people you care about stay safe while under the influence you may have to make some tough or
unpopular calls. This means that it may be up to you to stop a friend from
driving drunk or getting in to something they will regret later.
Of course, you could just ignore the uncomfortable situations that other people's intoxication can create, but how would you
feel if you could have prevented an accident but chose not to? Never step in if doing so can cause harm to you, but if it is
just a matter of feeling socially uncomfortable, stepping in is a must. That said, here are a few things that you and your
other sober friends can consider doing to ensure a safer evening for all.
- Volunteer to be the designated driver in advance. If you don't have access to a car, consider asking one of your friends to get their parent's permission to let you be the driver of their car.
- Get together with your friends in advance and arrange a "safety person(s)". Carry a list of your friends home phone numbers and parents names. Get cell phone numbers and keep a list of where your friends parents will be spending their evening. When at all possible, know what drugs or drinks your friends have had and how much they have ingested. Know if your buds have any allergies or conditions that medical professionals would need to know about in an emergency. Consider carrying condoms or other unexpected safety essentials.
- When deciding whether or not to step in to a situation ask yourself these two questions, "Am I being judgemental or am I really concerned with safety?" and "Is it safe for me to step in here?". You should only step in when it is safe to do so and when you are acting out of non-judgemental concern.
- Make a pact with friends: you'll try to stop them from acting out of character and making mistakes if they agree to listen to you without arguing. If your friends are intoxicated the pact may not stand up to the pressure, but then again it may and you'll be a hero the next day.
- Bring along some non-alcoholic beverages and be willing to share or suggest some mocktail recipes to the party host.
- Remember that you are at the party to have fun too! Don't feel like you have to be a baby sitter to inebriated friends, but do be prepared in the event that there is an unexpected emergency or situation. Your sober mind just may be the literal "life of the party".
- If drinking and drug use makes you uncomfortable there is nothing wrong with choosing to only party with other sober people.
Next page > Getting Drunk
