Cool Party, Responsible Host

Having as party can be great fun, especially when everyone thinks you are a cool host or hostess. However, if you truly are a good host, you know that the responsibility for the well-being of your guests is yours entirely. (In some countries, the host of the party is legally liable for the actions of his or her guests. Here, your conscience will have to pay.) To make sure that the effects of alcohol consumption do not take an unpleasant toll, keep these tips in mind for a cool party with a responsible host.

• Have a responsible person who does not drink take care of the bartending. Do not leave it to a paid server alone. If you do have a professional bartender, make sure s/he is trained in how to be a responsible one.

• Use peg measures for pouring drinks, so everyone gets normal-sized drinks.

• Make sure people who are being served are not already inebriated.

• Serve healthy snacks that contain carbohydrates so that people don't drink on an empty stomach.

• Serve dinner early so that people can eat and then drink for as long as they like.

• Let people know early on in the party that you believe in being a responsible host/hostess.

• Make sure that there are plenty of attractive options for non-drinkers. Most people overlook teetotaler guests.

• Do not let intoxicated persons leave your party in the driving seat. Keep their car keys and get them a taxi instead. Or have a friend who's sober drop them home. Or get them to stay the night. Don't let them drive.

• Promote the designated driver system. Give guests who are the designate drivers at your party special identification and treat them as special in creative ways. Instruct servers not to serve them any alcohol, and reward them in some way that makes other people appreciate their role.

• When someone declines a drink, respect their choice and don't pressurize. People must have the option of not drinking if they don't want to.

• Prevent people from gulping down their drinks too fast. Remember, your liver can handle only one 'standard' drink per hour on an average -- drinking at a faster speed is more likely to get you inebriated.

• Do not condone or encourage any excessive alcohol consumption. It isn't 'cool' to see people kill themselves or others. Or even make fools of themselves. If you are a real friend, you will try to prevent this from happening.