How to Host a Safe New Year’s Eve Party
When you decide to host a New Year’s Eve party, safety isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind. However, it is an essential part of any holiday gathering. This New Year’s Eve, ensure your guests have a great time without being harmed; get familiar with the risks of a New Year’s Eve party.
Carpenter & Czelusta provides a thorough list of how to safely and responsibly host a thrilling celebration for this special holiday! Continue reading to know what to do to protect yourself and your guests while welcoming the New Year.
What Can Go Wrong at a New Year’s Eve Party?
Many things can go wrong on New Year’s Eve. Even popping the cork on a champagne bottle can end in injury or damage. Below are the most common New Year’s Eve dangers and mishaps.
Driving Under the Influence
It shouldn’t surprise you that one of the most significant dangers on New Year’s Eve is drunk driving. So, if you’re hosting a New Year’s Eve party this year, you must do your best to ensure all guests are being responsible.
Getting behind the wheel while intoxicated is not worth the risk. Being the host, you should prepare to offer safe alternatives for your guests. While you can’t do much to control how much people drink at your party, you can certainly help them get home safely.
Alcohol Poisoning
Unfortunately, alcohol poisoning is another common danger of New Year’s Eve. Alcohol poisoning occurs most often when a person binge drinks. In other words, they are consuming alcohol in high quantities in a short period, and their metabolism cannot process the alcohol as quickly as it enters the body.
Alcohol poisoning can lead to severe symptoms and sometimes fatal results. The good news is that it is avoidable. All you need to do is avoid drinking at alarming rates and be aware of your limits. Your responsibility as a host on New Year’s Eve is to do your best to monitor your guests’ drinking and look for signs of excessive consumption or alcohol poisoning symptoms.
Firework Injuries
Firework injuries are more common than you may assume. They are explosive devices that can cause a lot of harm. Most injuries occur when people misuse fireworks or neglect to pay attention to their surroundings. Never should anyone point fireworks at another individual, no matter how mild the device is. Even sparklers are dangerous to use—they burn almost as hot as flowing lava!
Setting off fireworks isn’t legal in all areas. However, if it is legal where you live, and you choose to light fireworks near your home, you must use the utmost caution when handling these risky devices. Fireworks are thrilling and a tradition many families look forward to. Get familiar with firework safety tips to prepare for a fun and safe experience.
Other Accidents on the Road
Car and pedestrian accidents also spike on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Pay close attention to your surroundings if you’re on the road for these busy and exciting holidays. Intoxicated pedestrians are more likely to suffer an accident with a vehicle than another driver. This is because pedestrians are often less visible and have far less protection than a person in a car would.
Car accidents may occur for more than one reason. Other than situations involving alcohol, distractions, speeding, and stress are common causes of New Year’s Eve automobile accidents. So, put away your phone, turn down the party music, and focus on driving when you’re behind the wheel this holiday.
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How to Host a Safe New Year’s Eve Party
You have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders as the host of your own New Year’s Eve party. Luckily, there are easy ways to prevent catastrophes from ruining the exciting holiday. Throw a safe, responsible, and fun New Year’s Eve Party with the following tips to ensure your guests remain unharmed while welcoming a brand new year.
1 | Designate Drivers
If you’re serving alcohol at your New Year’s Eve celebration, it’s critical to designate a few people to remain sober. That way, they can help drive guests home, run to the store if needed, and address potential emergencies. The number of designated sober people will depend on how many people you invite. For instance, if you’re throwing a New Year’s Eve bash with about 100 people, consider asking at least five individuals to commit to staying sober. On the other hand, if your gathering involves only 15 to 20 of your closest friends and family, you may only need one or two sober guests.
It’s also wise for you, as the host, to stay sober or at least limit the alcoholic beverages you consume. That way, if anything gets too out of hand, you’ll be able to address the issue better than if you had one too many.
2 | Serve Lots of Food
Provide plenty of filling food for your party guests. While food doesn’t stop anyone from drinking too much, it can help prevent alcohol poisoning and other adverse effects, like nausea. Be sure to have plenty of food to last until midnight and after. Furthermore, it’s a good idea to serve various foods to accommodate those with allergies or special diets.
3 | Give Your Guests Options
The last thing you want to do is limit your guests to drinking purely alcohol. Remember to serve other beverages, like a festive New Year’s punch, sodas, or coffee. And most importantly, stock up on lots of water! It’s critical to keep your guests hydrated so they can enjoy the celebration in the safest and healthiest way possible.
4 | Reconsider Lighting Fireworks
Perhaps you light fireworks every year, but it only takes one small mistake for a big emergency. In fact, you could have highly experienced individuals handling the fireworks, and something can still go wrong! At times, these festive-yet-dangerous devices malfunction, resulting in injury or property damage.
This year, reconsider lighting fireworks. There are many other alternatives to have the time of your lives celebrating this exciting holiday without risking everyone’s safety. For instance, use party horns, other noise makers, bubble machines, and more to create a magical experience for your loved ones.
5 | Lock Your Car Doors at the New Year’s Eve Party
New Year’s Eve is a holiday, but that doesn’t mean criminals take the night off. Instead, car theft spikes on this special night. Because people tend to have their guard down or forget to lock their cars, criminals take full advantage of the perfect opportunity. Remember to lock your car doors and consider checking on your parked vehicle every couple of hours.
6 | Invite People You Know Well
To prevent the night from becoming chaotic, limit your guest list to only those you know well. Strangers are more likely to disrespect your property and house rules than your close friends and family.
7 | Plan Fun and Safe Activities
Try not to allow drinking to be the only activity of the evening. Plan other entertainment for your guests, like watching a funny movie, playing silly games, or rolling out the dance floor!
8 | Prepare Your Home for Overnight Guests
We’ve all been there—sometimes you have one too many without realizing it. Provide a safe and comfy place for your guests to stay so they don’t feel their only option is to find their way home. Prep your home for overnight guests by washing sheets, cleaning the guest beds, stocking up on pillows and blankets, or at least purchasing some sleeping bags.
9 | Have a Cut-Off Time for the New Year’s Eve Party
A couple of hours before the party ends, stop serving drinks to ensure people can get themselves home safely. To avoid disgruntled partiers, ensure everyone is aware of the cut-off time. For instance, if you expect your family and friends to head home soon after midnight, stop serving alcohol around 10 pm.
10 | Remove Hazards from Your Home
Last but certainly not least, inspect your home for any potential safety hazards. Whether your guests are drinking or not, a house full of people can quickly become risky if the environment is not adequately prepared.
Look for wires in the walkway and unexpected ledges on the sidewalk, secure the rugs in place, tidy up the floors, and ensure the stairs are safe to use. Similarly, have supplies ready for any food or beverage spills, so you can clean them immediately and not cause harm to your loved ones.
What Do You Do When You Experience an Emergency on New Year’s Eve?
Depending on what went wrong at your New Year’s Eve Party, you may need some legal assistance. The dedicated and passionate team at Carpenter & Czelusta is here to help you navigate your legal case and get the results you deserve!
Don’t start 2023 with the stress of a legal issue. Call Carpenter & Czelusta to see what we can do for you!
