According to a survery by Baileys Canada and Angus Reid, 71 per cent of Canadians plan on hosting at home over the holidays and 77 per cent  of those will be serving alcohol.

Being a responsible host will ensure your guests go home happy and safe. As the host you are responsible for the safety and behaviour of your guests so I've come up with some great tips on how to serve sensibly and make guests feel welcome to stay the night.

Party Planning

  • Pre-mix holiday cocktails to ensure they are properly made (not too strong)
  • Use the right glassware so you are not serving JUMBO-sized drinks
  • Garnish non-alcoholic drinks to look like other drinks (try serving fruit punch or egg nog in a martini glass)
  • Serve protein and carbs like meat skewers and vegetable crudites instead of salty and deep-friend foods which make guests thirsty.
  • Arrange to have help at your party. Hire a bartender to help guests (don't allow free-pouring) with drinks; ask him/her to be a designated driver when their bar shift ends.
  • Monitor your own alcohol consumption throughout the party so you can be the responsible host that get your guests home safe.

Accommodating Guests

Prepare overnight kits for those guests that cannot drive home or live out of town. Just some things like a new tooth brush, small toiletries and something to change into will entice friends to stay rather than going home.

Have a blow-up bed on hand for those times when extra or unannounced guests stay over. These are fairly inexpensive and don't take a lot of storage room. They are great to have around all year long for extra visitors.

Getting People Home Safe

Have a book of cab chits (on account) at home for local guests (or your kids) to make sure they get home safely, without expense.

Make sure your designated drivers have plenty of non-alcoholic drinks, including things like mocktails that won't have others trying to offer them alcoholic drinks. There is also a great program called Operation Red Nose across the country. It is free of charge (run by volunteers from November - December 31). Basically you call and they show up with a driver and two people - two people drive you home in your car while the other person follows. Then once you are home safely the people who drove you get back in the other car and goes to the next destination. They will even make sure your babysitter gets home.

Some Tech Help

A cell phone application to help: The Liquor Control Board of Ontario has an application that anyone, anywhere can download on their cell phone called the 'SPEAK UP' application. You can program friends and families phone numbers and they will receive voice messages to their phones during their party; reminding them to have a great time, yet be responsible. www.deflatetheelephant.com/speak-up-iphone-app.html. It's a nice way to send reminders

About Operation Red Nose: Operation Red Nose is a national program dedicated to the fight against drinking and driving. It is a free, confidential, volunteer-driver service offered to any individual who has been drinking or who simply does not feel fit to drive his/her vehicle home.

How Operation Red Nose Works: Call the local chapter and a team of 3 will come and drive you home safely in your own car. Two people will get in your car with you and the 3rd person will follow behind. Your car will be parked in your driveway and you will be escorted to your door. We'll even drive your babysitter home (as long as one parent comes with us). This is a FREE* confidential service provided by hundreds of volunteers whose main concern is the safety of our roads. *Those receiving rides may make a voluntary donation to Operation Red Nose. www.operationnezrouge.com/