NEWS RELEASE

New Year Eve Planning

If you’re New Year Eve activities include alcohol, be sure to include a designated driver in your plan. Don’t become a statistic. Let’s bring in the New Year by taking care of your friends, your family and yourself by following these simple guidelines.

If you are hosting a party:

• 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.
• 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.
• Appoint a bartender to monitor guests' drinking and serve measured, standard drinks rather than doubles or "holiday specials."
• Do not serve alcohol to an intoxicated guest. Offer him or her a non-alcoholic drink, but remember that nothing can "sober up" 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.

For those attending a party:

• Do not drink if you are pregnant or trying to conceive; you are using medicine of any kind; or you have had difficulty keeping your drinking moderate in the past.
• Eat before and during occasions when you are drinking.
• 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.
• Feel free to refuse alcohol for any other reason, regardless of pressure or encouragement to drink.
• If you are under the age of 21, don’t even think about it. It is against the law and we have a zero tolerance to underage drinking.

Remember, you don’t need to be drunk to have a good time. In fact many people have a great time without alcohol. If you choose to drink, please do it responsibly and identify a designated driver. We want everyone to have a fun and SAFE New Years Eve. One last thing to remember is to Buckle Up – Every Trip – Every Time. Happy New Year from the Seaside Police Department.

Robert Gross

Chief of Police