Responsible entertaining for cottage season

Sitting around a campfire at your cottage with friends and having a beer or some wine can be a fun way to pass the time, but when the night comes to an end, getting home can be a problem.

"Statistically the majority of deaths for alcohol-related reasons do happen during the spring and summer, the big months being July and August, and it tends to be a spike over the long weekends," says Andrew Murie, CEO of Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

A study conducted by British Columbia's Traffic Accident System in 1999 showed that weekends are the most common time for alcohol-related traffic accidents. Over 50 per cent of all injuries and deaths involving alcohol-related collisions happened on a weekend.

Responsible hosting
Murie says it's important to realize that even if you would never consider driving under the influence of alcohol yourself, as a host you need to make sure your guests will not be driving drunk either. You are responsible when you serve alcohol or host alcohol related activities," says Murie.

MADD isn't the only organization that promotes responsible hosting. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) offers tips for responsible entertaining on their website

"We encourage people to enjoy alcohol in moderation and we give them tips because we know...in certain times of the year people will be entertaining," says Chris Layton, an LCBO spokesperson.

As the main source of where consumers buy alcohol, Layton says it's important to the LCBO to make sure that they also supply customers with tools to know how to use the products in a responsible manner.

So if you're welcoming visitors to your cottage or to a campsite and you're serving alcohol, check out our 10 tips to make sure your gathering is a safe one.

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10 responsible hosting tips:
1. Since a cottage or campsite may be too far from home for your guests, or not easily accessible for taxis, make sure that staying overnight is an option. Tell guests beforehand, if they are planning on drinking you expect them to stay the night. Remind visitors to bring along a change of clothes and blankets and bring some extra sleeping bags yourself, just in case.

2. Make sure that you do not plan activities like water sports that could be dangerous when participants are impaired; like boating, jet skiing, or swimming. It's important to remember that driving down private roads while intoxicated is just as dangerous as driving on a main highway.

3. Keep plenty of snacks handy. People are less likely to become impaired as quickly on a full stomach than an empty one.

4. Stay sober so that your judgment isn't hindered.

5. Offer some fun non-alcoholic drink options. "We've had a lot of great response from promoting Mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails) as a responsible hosting alternative for the designated driver or people who choose not to consume alcohol or want to moderate their intake," says Layton. Mocktail recipes can be found on the LCBO's website.

6. Be aware of who your guests are. If you know that certain friends do not handle alcohol well, consider making the weekend a liquor-free event.

7. When taking your guests' coats, it can be a good time to ask your friends to turn their keys over to you as well. This way you are completely in control of who will be leaving your cottage and who won't.

8. Try to set a tone that the weekend is about socializing and that alcohol is not the main focus of the event.

9. Set up a specific spot for alcohol to be kept and take control of serving it yourself. This way you can keep an eye on everyone's consumption.

10. If you know people want to leave at a certain time, put a stop to drinking a few hours before guests are set to depart.

Know your legal responsibility
In some circumstances hosts can be held responsible if a guest leaves their party intoxicated and gets in a car accident. To find out what your legal responsibility as a host is, visit the MADD website. Remember that even though it can be hard to stop a person from driving home from a party while under the influence, saving lives is always worth it.

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