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Keep your guests safe at holiday parties

Among the things a host  can do is focus on games  instead of drinking.

With cab voucher offer, there's no excuse to drink and drive

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Staff Report Updated 12:56 AM Wednesday, December 30, 2009

HAMILTON — People hosting New Years’s Eve parties have a responsibility to keep their revelers safe, according to the Safety Council of Southwestern Ohio.

The council says more than 10 people in Ohio could be killed in alcohol-related car crashes over the holiday weekend.

“Increased public awareness is the key to bringing that number down,” said Kristy Duritsch, agency spokeswoman. “At this time of year, it is important to remind those hosting parties, they need to be responsible too.”

The council offers these tips to help avoid alcohol-related accidents:

• Focus on games, music, entertainment or other social activities at the party instead of drinking.

• Choose a “bartender” to mix drinks for guests to help keep track of the size and number of drinks a guest consumes.

• Stop serving alcohol at least 90 minutes before the end of the party. Only time will sober a person who has been drinking.

• Offer options. Have a variety of nonalcoholic beverages available such as juice, soda, bottled water, coffee and tea. Make these drinks and food easily available to encourage consumption.

• Know who is driving. Ask each group arriving who their designated driver is and give that person a “No thanks, I’m driving” button or sticker. Collect car keys at the door.

Drunken driving is especially a problem in Butler County, which the Ohio State Highway Patrol ranked this month as second in the state in arrests for people driving under the influence.

The safety council urges people to watch for erratic driving over the weekend, and to report suspected drunken driving to local law enforcement immediately. This includes the person’s license plate number, vehicle description and direction of travel.

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