Party Smart

Checklist for a Successful Party

Know the people at your party

The more people you don't know at your party, the greater potential for bad things to happen. Fights, theft, and people getting hurt or in trouble happen more often when you don't know who's at your party. Keeping the size of your party small and putting up fences cuts down on the number of randoms who will come into your party and steal your DVD's and remote control.

Know the Law

Familiarize yourself with the Ohio Alcohol Laws to keep you and your partygoers safe.

Respect your neighbors, respect your landlord, and know your lease regulations.

There are at least two reasons why you do not want to be the inconsiderate neighbor. First, people like to get that guy in trouble. Second, if you're not home and your neighbor sees someone hit your car or walk out of your house with your TV, they are more likely to help you if they know you and like you.

Be Considerate

Clean up what you mess up, and keep the noise level resonable.

Have at least one person there who is not drinking

If you and your friends are set on having a crazy night, it only makes sense to have someone there with their wits about them. Let this person be the one who drives you to Taco Bell at 2:00 a.m., or calls the police if something happens, and makes sure that no one is getting dangerously drunk.

Drink Water

Drink water along with and in between alcoholic drinks, and down a couple more glasses of water before you go to bed. It re-hydrates your body and cuts back on the risk of a hangover so you're not miserable during the game, or class, or work, etc.

Provide Options

Limit alcohol, and serve non-alcoholic beverages in addition to any alcohol. Additionally, provide food, and use cans or plastic bottles, but not glass bottles.

Special note to women

The reality is that women end up with higher levels of alcohol in their blood causing higher rates of impairment than guys after drinking the same amount of alcohol. The more a woman drinks, the higher her risk of sexual assault. Have a plan to keep yourself sober and/or safe.

The Party Smart Kit

This kit of materials is available to party hosts at no charge. It contains:

• A Party Smart information booklet
• A Party Smart T-shirt
• 2 Condoms