The Friends of Corvallis Police want to remind you that holiday spirits don't have to arrive in a bottle. If you plan on hosting a holiday party, remember to offer your guests non-alcoholic refreshments and nutritious food. Stay in control of the drinking by serving measured, standard drinks, and stop serving alcohol at least one hour before your party ends.

Never serve alcohol to an intoxicated guest. Offer him or her a non-alcoholic drink.

Avoid letting alcohol become the focus of your celebration. Serve your guests plenty of food and make sure that non-alcoholic drinks are also readily available.

If you've been invited to a party, bring your host a non-alcoholic gift that everyone can enjo.

If you're going to be partying with alcohol keep your drinking moderate and do not drive. That means no more than two drinks a day for men and no more than one for women.

Be sure that this year's holidays live up to your expectations. Take care of your friends, your family, and yourself by following these simple guidelines.

For Hosts:

• Do not let someone who has been drinking drive. Arrange for him or her to sleep in your home or to ride with a sober driver
• Provide your guests with an attractive selection of non-alcoholic beverages. Remember that about one-third of all adults in the U.S. abstain from drinking alcohol completely for a variety of reasons. Remember, too, that informed, health-conscious adults whom you know to drink on occasion will prefer non-alcoholic beverages in the following situations:
  • If they are pregnant or trying to conceive
  • If they are using medicine of any kind
  • If they have had difficulty in keeping their drinking moderate in the past
  • If they plan to drive after your party
  • If they wish for some other reason to avoid alcohol
• Never serve alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, for whom it is an illegal drug. Remember that your responsibility for drinking by underage guests lasts beyond the time they are in your home. Remember, too, that alcohol-related car crashes are the leading cause of death for 15-to 24-year-olds.
• Provide your guests with nutritious food. Eating will slow alcohol's effects
• Appoint a bartender to monitor guests' drinking and serve measured, standard drinks rather than doubles or "holiday specials." Guests can better control their drinking when they are drinking amounts with which they are familiar.
• Do not serve alcohol to an intoxicated guest. Offer him or her a non-alcoholic drink, but remember that nothing can sober a person immediately. It takes the human body approximately two hours to metabolize each ounce of alcohol; coffee or a cold shower can only create a wide-awake drunk instead of a sleeping one.
• Choose fruit juices instead of carbonated mixers. Carbonation speeds alcohol absorption.
• Do not allow drinking to become the primary focus or activity of your party.
• Stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the party ends.

For Guests:

• Do not drink if any of the following is true:
  • You are pregnant or trying to conceive
  • You are using medicine of any kind
  • You have had difficulty keeping your drinking moderate in the past
• Feel free to refuse alcohol for any other reason, regardless of pressure or encouragement to drink.
• Do not drink if you are a child or adolescent. For anyone under 21, alcohol poses a number of serious health risks. In addition, it is for this age group an illegal drug.
• If you drive, do not drink; if you drink, do not drive. There is no safe level of alcohol for drivers because everyone reacts differently to alcohol on different occasions. If you are going out with others, decide beforehand who will drive on the return trip. Do not ride with drivers who have been drinking.
• Eat before and during occasions when you are drinking.

If you are a woman, remember that alcohol generally has a greater effect on you than on a man of your same weight.