Holiday drinking safety tips

Cheers! Tips for Safe Alcohol Use During the Holidays

By: Ariel J. Warden-Jarrett, M.D., FAAFP

The holidays are a time for family, friends and celebration. Unfortunately, it’s also when people sometimes drink too much, with consequences ranging from fights and falls to serious traffic accidents.

People often put themselves at risk because they believe myths about alcohol use ─ common but incorrect beliefs. Let’s look at some of the most common alcohol myths, and then we’ll tell you how to safely enjoy a few drinks during the holidays.

Alcohol myths

I’m in control. At first, alcohol acts as a stimulant, and you may feel happier and confident. But at this stage, alcohol has already reduced your inhibitions and impaired your judgment. As you drink more, you are likely to underestimate alcohol’s effects, making you feel “bullet proof” while seriously eroding your ability to think clearly and control your behavior.

It’s okay, I’m just drinking beer. One 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and a 1.5-ounce shot of hard liquor have the same amount of alcohol. It’s not what you drink, it’s how much you drink that matters.

I can still drive. You may think you are safe to drive as long as you’re not slurring your words or acting erratically. However, the coordination needed for driving is compromised long before the signs of intoxication are visible. Plus, the sedative effects of alcohol increase your risk of nodding off or losing attention behind the wheel.

I stopped drinking, so I’m fine. It’s easy to misjudge how long alcohol’s effects last. After you stop drinking, alcohol in your stomach and intestine continues to enter your bloodstream, impairing your judgment and coordination. Your liver can only process about one standard drink every hour, so the effects of drinking can drag on for hours.

I can sober up quickly if I need to. It’s widely believed that coffee, a cold shower or fresh air will get you sober. It’s also wrong. These things may help with drowsiness, but not with the effects of alcohol on decision-making or coordination. There are no quick cures; only time will help.

I ate a big meal, so I won’t get as drunk. Eating before drinking can slow the absorption of alcohol by the body, but it can’t prevent you from getting drunk. Eventually, the stomach will empty from dinner and alcohol absorption will pick up again.

Tips for safe alcohol use

Whether you’re attending or hosting a holiday party, here are ways to consume alcohol safely.

Pace yourself. A standard drink is one 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or a 1.5-ounce shot of hard liquor, and you should have no more than one per hour. And no more than four drinks per day for men or three for women.
Slow down. Sip your drink.
Space your drinks. Make every other one nonalcoholic, such as water.
Eat food before and while you drink to slow down your absorption of alcohol.
Make plans to get home safely. Remember that a designated driver is someone who hasn’t had any alcohol, not simply the person in your group who drank the least.

If you’re a party host:

Offer a selection of non-alcoholic beverages and plenty of food.
Stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the party ends.
Don’t serve alcohol to an intoxicated guest.
Don’t let anyone who is drunk drive home.

For more information on celebrating the holidays safely, visit http://www.RethinkingDrinking.niaaa.nih.gov

Dr. Ariel Warden-Jarrett is an MPCP partner and is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. She practices in the Bowie office.

5 Alcohol Safety Tips For The Holidays

The holiday season brings plenty of family, friends, and tradition. As we gather with those closest to us, we turn to the festive customs that make the holiday season one of the most memorable times of the year. But for many people, the festivities can bring trouble. Alcohol safety and awareness are a significant focus for a lot of people this time of year.

The holiday spirit is contagious. For the young ones, the idea of the big guy in red dropping down the chimney is enough to stoke the holiday fervor. But eventually, we age out of the mythical trappings of the season. And some people shift their focus to a different type of holiday spirit, the one that comes in a bottle.

It’s nothing new for celebrations to include alcoholic beverages. Cultures around the world and through the centuries have enjoyed this tradition. It can be fun to have some drinks at the company holiday party, and the wine may be flowing at your family Christmas dinner. With the hectic nature of the holidays, it can feel good to kick back with a cold one.

If you feel that you or your loved ones need support in managing their relationship to alcohol, reach out to the Fair Park Counseling team. We are here to help, no matter the season.

Binge Drinking During the Holidays

Enjoying a few drinks is one thing. But more people overdo it with drinking during the holiday season than at any other point of the year. In fact, the liquor industry earns about 25% of its profits in the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

For a lot of people, a couple of drinks can quickly become too many drinks. Binge drinking can lead to consequences ranging from the trivial, like making a fool of yourself, to the life-altering, like being arrested for driving under the influence. And in the worst circumstances, binge drinking can be deadly.

It is crucial not only to know your limits but also to be aware that the holidays can lower your guard and lead to unsafe situations. Make alcohol safety front and center in your mind this season so that you can come through intact.

Stay Safe with These 5 Alcohol Safety Tips

This time of year is a time of joy and warmth, regardless of whether or not you drink. But if you plan on imbibing this season, there are ways to keep yourself safe.

1. Don’t play games with your booze.

Drinking games are fun and look great in movies. But they also encourage binge drinking and all the unfortunate consequences that come along with it. Experts consider binge drinking for men to be consuming more than five drinks in one sitting. For women, the number is four drinks.

The stats don’t lie. When you binge drink, you are much more likely to incur an injury or other health issues, harm others, or destroy property. None of those things should be part of your holiday celebrations.

Your reindeer games don’t need to include Beer Pong or Drinking Die Hard. If you do incorporate alcohol into your party games, make sure you give contestants ample time for water breaks and have plenty of snacks on hand. It is essential to keep everyone full and hydrated when drinking begins.

2. Be smart about how much you can drink.

Most people have heard some guidelines about how much alcohol you can handle based on your size. There are a lot of old wives’ tales and urban myths concerning tricks to keep you in prime drinking shape. But in general, they aren’t legitimate.

Factors such as weight, gender, and how much food and water you’ve consumed will impact how quickly you absorb alcohol. But the bottom line is, binge drinking is dangerous for anyone, no matter their size or gender. Keep your drinks to a minimum and spaced out over several hours.

3. Eat.

This tip is a simple one. Keep your belly full of food. Eating before and during alcohol consumption is essential for your safety. Eating slows down the rate at which your body absorbs alcohol. It also keeps you from drinking too much because you already feel full.

If you are the host, be sure there are plenty of snack options available for your guests. And have water readily available in several spots throughout the venue.

4. Mix up the mixers with non-alcoholic choices.

Who says that a drink needs to include alcohol to be fun? The holidays offer lots of great-tasting, special drinks that fit the bill for a party. Libations such as egg nog, apple cider, and sparkling water are perfect examples of non-alcoholic beverages that feel special and festive.

If you do choose to imbibe, be sure to alternate your rounds with booze-free options. A full glass of water between beverages can make a big difference.

5. Keep a tally of your indulgence.

Since binge drinking is all about the numbers, keep track of how much you are drinking in one sitting. Holiday parties can make this particularly challenging as you may be refilling the same cup. It’s easy to lose count.

Find a pen and make a tally mark on the side of your cup to help you stay mindful of your consumption. Or get creative with the holiday items nearby. You could slap a bow on your ugly sweater each time you get a new drink. Or consider wrapping a ribbon around your wrist each time you refill. Whatever it takes to help you keep track of the number of beverages that you have had.

You could also ask a friend or family member to help you pay attention to the number of drinks you’ve had. But ultimately, this is your responsibility, not theirs.

Drink Safely this Season

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate the holidays, alcohol is likely to be present. If you or a loved one struggles with addiction or substance abuse, the team at Fair Park Counseling can help. Reach out today to start your journey to wellness.

★ Travel safety tips - how to have a safe and healthy vacation ★

Travel safety tips - how to have a safe and healthy vacation
Before you go on vacation
- Travel insurance
- Annual plan against solo travel
- Travel emergencies can happen
- Travel insurance can help us with many things such as:
- Call your bank and credit cards
- Check Tips for traveling
- Social media
- Stop the delivery of mail and newspapers
- Tiemers on lights
- Get the right vaccines
Safe trip during the trip
- Recipes
- Money and credit cards
- Shoulder bag
- Travel scams
  - Here are some of the scams we remember:
- Foods to avoid while traveling
- Car rental
- Rent - scooters, jet skis
  - Learn from our mistakes
  - Enjoy this article? Save to Pinterest to use for future reference.
  - Read more:

Our top travel safety tips.

Travel safety tips for a safe and healthy holiday

Many people take the time to plan their vacation, but how many people actually plan for potential vacation problems?

This is not the most exciting thing to think about when booking a trip, as a vacation should be a stress-free time to get rid of stress.

But you can save yourself a lot of heartache if something happens by planning ahead and following our advice.

Table of contents

Travel safety tips for a safe and healthy vacation
Before leaving for vacation
- Travel insurance
- Annual plan against solo travel
- Travel emergencies can happen
- Travel insurance can help us with many things, such as:
- Call your bank and credit cards
- Social media
- Stop mail and newspaper delivery
- Set timers on lights
- Get the right vaccines
Safe trip during a trip
- Recipes and medicines
- Money and credit cards
- over the shoulder Bag
- Travel Fraud
- products should be avoided during travel
- Cars
- rental - scooters, jet skis

Before we go on vacation

Planning for a safe and healthy vacation starts before we leave the country .

Once we have our travel dates booked, we have a list of what we need to prepare before we leave.

If we follow these steps, it will ensure a more peaceful holiday and give us the tools we need in case of an emergency.

Travel insurance

The first thing we always do before we travel is to make sure we have travel insurance. We call our provider to make sure we have full coverage for our holiday and discuss what we can and cannot do with them. nine0063

If we are involved in rock climbing or scuba diving, we carefully review our policy for any general exclusions as well as high-risk activity definitions.

High-risk activities such as skydiving are not covered

Personally, Dave and I decided to insure together under one policy, which ended up being more economical than two separate insurance plans.

Annual plan vs.

single trip

We also purchase an annual medical plan because we travel more than once a year. It's more convenient than getting separate plans for each trip, and it saves us money by buying one package per year rather than separate plans for each trip.

To learn more about how we choose the right plan, check out: How We Choose Travel Insurance

Since we became Allianz Travel Insurance Ambassadors, we have learned that Allianz Global Assistance agents are available 24/7 on 1-844-310-1578, so we can always get an answer no matter what time of day we might have an insurance question.

Even before we traveled, we always bought travel insurance. Whether we crossed the border for a short day shopping trip or a month long adventure hike, we would always be sure we were covered.

Anything can happen at any time, no matter how short the trip. nine0063

Travel emergencies can happen

Dave and I had a motorcycle accident, I had a serious blood infection, we both got very sick, and as you know, Dave broke his back in the Amazon.

Insurance has helped us in these cases by covering eligible hospital expenses, prescriptions and even flights home.

But there are many other potential aspects of travel insurance that make it valuable to us when booking a vacation. nine0063

Travel insurance can help us with many things, such as:

If we need to cancel or postpone our trip. Sometimes emergencies happen beyond our control and we can't go on a vacation we've already bought. Insurance can help us in certain situations, such as sudden and unexpected medical care, fire or flood, burglary, vandalism, or natural disaster. (Or, for example, when WOW Air went bankrupt and left passengers to find their way home). nine0004
We need a dental emergency or get sick or injured during our trip - I was traveling with friends who tripped and broke a tooth and needed an emergency dental visit. My brother broke his arm while on vacation and Dave suffered second degree burns on his leg which required several visits to a hospital in Thailand for them to change the bandage and clean the wound. Without health insurance, all of these circumstances would be out of pocket or could shorten trips home. nine0004
Our luggage is lost or stolen - There is nothing worse than arriving at your destination without your luggage. If our Baggage is delayed or lost, we may be reimbursed up to the maximum stated amount for damage, loss or theft of our Baggage.

Have peace of mind before boarding the plane, knowing that we have our cover in case of an emergency is the best thing we can do to ensure a safe and happy vacation. nine0063

You can visit the Allianz Global Assistance website to find the right plan for you.

Notes:

The Government of Canada recommends that your travel insurance include health, life and disability coverage.
They also suggest if you are flying you should consider flight cancellation, trip interruption, lost luggage and replacement documents.

Call your bank and credit cards

We were in Cuba recently and I forgot to tell my bank that we would be traveling. While in Havana I went to an ATM to withdraw Cuban pesos and my card didn't work.

Then I tried my Visa and it didn't work either.

I thought it was an ATM, but when I got home I got a message that there was a fraud warning on my cards and my accounts were blocked. nine0063

This gave us a lot of trouble as we had to try many ATMs and different cards. Luckily Dave's card worked and we ended up taking some pocket money, but if that didn't happen we might not have bought anything.

If all of our accounts were blocked, it could cost us valuable vacation time to call the bank to try and unblock our cards.

Check travel tips

Before booking our trip, we always do a quick search to check travel recommendations to see if there are any alerts in the country we are visiting.

We made a mistake in the past by not checking. And on one of our travels, we didn't realize there was an election going on that sparked violent protests and riots.

If we checked the recommendations of the country, we would expect a visit, as there were several deaths and arrests. nine0063

Fortunately, we were not hurt (although we saw a military convoy of tanks passing by to arrest the opposition and its supporters). It was a very disturbing experience.

It's always good to know what situation you're in, so check recommendations for hurricane season and weather, volcanic activity, war or disease outbreaks.

In Canada, we check Canadian government travel advice and also check with the US Department of State before choosing a destination. nine0063

Social media

Wait until you are home to share your trip

I know people get really excited when they go on vacation and want to tell all their friends but let everyone know online that you are about to leave town is an invitation to be robbed. If you really want to show off your amazing holiday, wait until you get home.

Dave and I rarely post on social media in real time. We don't want people to know where we are at the moment, and we don't want people to know when we're not in our house. nine0063

So save the photo until you get back.

Stop delivering mail and newspapers

If you live in a house, nothing says “ we are not at home This is more than a pile of newspapers. It's a simple phone call to stop mail and newspaper delivery while you're away.

Get to know your neighbors and ask them to collect flyers left at the front door. The flyers are the only thing we couldn't figure out how to stop coming in so it's good to have a friendly neighbor looking after them. nine0063

Put timers on lights

We are big fans of setting timers to make people believe that someone is home.

When we had our house, we had a timer set to turn on our outdoor lights in the evening.

We also had several lights and set timers to turn on the interior lights from 7pm to 11pm.

Available at Walmart, Home Depot, or Canadian Tire for peanuts, it could save the break. nine0063

Get the right vaccines

If we're going somewhere exotic, we do our research to determine in advance which vaccines we need. Some vaccines may take weeks or months to receive the required sequence of shots.

There are many life-threatening diseases that can be contracted in parts of the world where a vaccine can save our lives.

Depending on where we travel, we may need vaccines for typhoid, yellow fever, cholera, Japanese encephalitis and more. nine0063

Countries where yellow fever is a risk won't even let us in if we don't have a yellow fever vaccine certificate, and it's always good to have hepatitis A and B wherever we go.

We regularly review our vaccines to make sure they are up to date so we can stay healthy.

There is a lot of information on the Internet, but we usually visit a travel clinic with a doctor who specializes in travel diseases, so we know exactly what we need. nine0063

Safe travel while traveling

Prescriptions and medicines

Before we travel, we make sure to fill out all the prescriptions we need and pack them in our carry-on bag.

We never check prescription drugs in our luggage and always make sure we have them with a copy of our prescription.

Money and credit cards

Dave and I always share our money and credit cards if either of us gets robbed. If we have everything in one bag, we will be unlucky if the bag is stolen. nine0063

We like to carry credit cards in our bags so we always have a backup plan. Also, when we are at our destination, we only carry a small amount of cash with us and only have one or two credit cards with us.

We once made the mistake of having me carry everything and Dave and I were separated on a train in Switzerland. He got stuck on the train when the doors closed and ended up in an abandoned station.

He didn't have a mobile phone, money or even a wallet. I had everything. nine0063

He had to wander around the station and board the train without a ticket, praying that no one would stop him. I had no way of knowing when or how he would return, and the whole ordeal took over an hour until we were united.

Dave is celebrating in Switzerland after our reunion!

We never put all our money and credit cards in one place again.

We felt that Switzerland was safe and we drove straight from the hotel to the airport, so we thought everything would be fine if everything was in one bag. Boy, we were wrong. nine0063

Shoulder bag

Shoulder RFID identity theft protection

My travel bag is a shoulder bag that is almost impossible to break out.

I really like the Pacsafe brand because there are several safety features such as a zip closure and a shock-resistant belt. I also like using the Pacsafe wallet because it uses RFID blocking technology.

In today's digital age, you don't have to lose your credit cards to steal your information. RFID skimming is becoming more and more common. nine0063

What is RFID skimming? This is a form of theft using wireless transmitters to obtain information on your credit and debit card identification chips.

They can decrypt personal information such as your name, address, phone number, and social security and security numbers. Once someone gets this information, they can do everything from gaining access to your accounts to stealing your identity.

Now it's scary. I use RFID wallets and bags even when at home. nine0063

Travel scams

Nothing ruins a vacation like a scam. The guilt of realizing what you just "had" is the worst. We know we've been there.

Our camera was stolen in Namibia, we lost half of our money on a shady money exchange in Myanmar.

We even fell in love with the scheme where we bought a vacation club while traveling through Mexico. Every situation ruined our trip after the fact.

Before we start our holiday, we will see what are the main tourist scams in the area. nine0063

In Asia Tuk-tuk and rickshaw drivers have been known to scam tourists by offering a cheap ride only to take them to markets and eateries where they earn a commission.

In Morocco Vendors tempt you with tea and friendly advice to make you buy an overpriced rug. This list has no end.

We have an article that brings them together in the best travel scams around the world

Here are some of the scams we remember:

ATMs - When we go to an ATM, we only go to the appropriate bank. We never use a universal ATM on the side of the road. We are looking for a national bank and go during business hours. We have been all over the world and good international banks have menus in English and they have clear signs that they accept Visa or MasterCard and that they are in the Plus system. nine0004
Security bag - As I mentioned above, a shoulder bag that has lockable zippers and is difficult to rip out will deter pickpockets or theft.
Taxi - When we land at the airport, we either have a rental car booked to meet us on arrival with our name, or we go to the official taxi rank to take a taxi into town. We fell in love with crowds of people asking if we needed a ride and ended up going with a shady unlicensed taxi driver who overcharged us and didn't take us to the hotel we wanted. They went to a hotel where they get a commission. nine0004
Overly friendly locals - We are always wary of overly friendly locals. The conversation starts innocently and soon turns into a high-pressure publicity stunt. We're not saying we're not open to meeting new people on our travels, but often the person who's too friendly either wants to take us on a tour somewhere to sell us stuff for their commissions, or they put us in a false sense of security and then cheat us out of our money. nine0004
Roy - We are always aware of the crowds in the subway or on the streets. Many scammers use distraction techniques such as swarming, running into a person, or even spraying someone with things like mustard to capture while their partner in crime robs the victim.

When we become aware of common scams, we notice when they are happening and ready. For us, it was a lesson that we learned the hard way, we experienced a lot of scams at the beginning of our journey. nine0063

Foods to Avoid While Traveling

Dave is notorious for defying his own dietary rules and getting sick for days on end. Don't be like Dave, sickness can ruin your vacation, but it's very easy to avoid.

We only eat foods that have been cooked or that we can clean. We also avoid foods like lettuce and chopped raw fruit.

If we are in a spa, we ask if we can drink water. If not, we drink bottled water. But if most of the time we don't like contributing to plastic pollution, we use a sterilizing solution to purify our own tap water. Works great! nine0063

We also tend to avoid soups and any food that is cooked. If there are sandwiches that have sat out for a while, it is better not to eat them. We only order freshly prepared food.

All this suggests that we are still adventurous when we eat and travel.

Street food can be a great choice if it's freshly grilled. There is nothing wrong with eating street vendors as long as the food is cooked. Usually there are very fresh products in the stalls, because they sell quickly and are constantly replenished. nine0063

If it is cooked on fire or deep fried, we eat it.

Car rental

We love to rent cars when we travel. This gives us the freedom to get off the beaten track and explore on our own. But when renting a car, it's important to be savvy.

We usually book in advance. Booking a rental car with our flight included saved us a lot of time.

Insurance is always a difficult decision. Car rentals tend to be pretty reasonable, but once you add their insurance, it can add up quickly. nine0063

We use American Express Platinum for car rentals and they are fully insured so we never get additional insurance.

We also have full insurance for our car at home, including car rental. But we always call them before we leave to double check that we are covered.

When we were in New Brunswick last winter, we hit a pole and crushed the bumper. It didn't matter because we had full coverage with the rental company so we just returned the car and went our own fun way. nine0063

Sometimes having peace of mind can be easier than saving money. If we didn't have insurance, we would have a huge hassle with our insurance to cover the damage.

When in doubt, we always call our insurance provider or credit card company to ask about all conditions.

Rent - scooters, jet skis

Many people tend to rent scooters, speed boats or wave runners on vacation. But if you do not have driving experience, or you do not have the appropriate international permit or local license, we do not. nine0063

We had a motorcycle accident in Thailand many years ago while renting a scooter. We thought we could make it, but we failed.

When we first arrived, we noticed many bandaged tourists. We thought the island must have a coral reef rip or something, but we soon found out that everyone rents a scooter and most people crash.

Since then we have obtained a motorcycle license and learned how to ride a bicycle properly.

When we ride jet skis or speedboats, we do it on tour with a professional leader who gave us a lesson on how to ride it properly. nine0063

Just because we're on vacation doesn't mean we're invincible, so we're taking the same precautions we do at home.

Learn from our mistakes

It's been years of trial and error that has helped us finally learn our lesson for safe and healthy travel.

Now that we follow these rules, we usually have a safe and healthy journey. Or at least we are prepared for emergencies.

opening : This post is sponsored by Allianz Global Assistance (AZGA service company). I am a brand ambassador for Allianz Global Assistance (Canada) and receive financial compensation.

Exotic cuisine: safe food at home and on vacation

October 22, 2012 at 07:36

Today, few people can be surprised by Japanese rolls, Chinese noodles and Mexican burritos. And such exotic fruits as pineapples, mangoes and kiwis can be found in any large supermarket. How not to get poisoned while trying new foods at home and on vacation? What to look for when meeting with unusual dishes? What food experiments should be avoided? These and other questions are answered by Tatyana Zaletova, a nutritionist at the Clinic of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. nine0063

Power supply
Security
Zaletova

Oberst: I perfectly understand the possible problems from exotic food, but on vacation I really want to try all the local edible specifics! Are there any rules by which exotics can be entered into the menu? How long will it take - is it possible to meet the usual vacation two weeks? Thank you! nine0520

Start your acquaintance with exotic cuisine from the simplest dishes, more precisely from the most simply prepared ones: boiled and deep-fried. Exotic fruits and vegetables are better to try a little - you will definitely have time to try everything. Try to make the most of bottled water for drinking - exotic intestinal infections are unlikely to be included in your tour plans.

Olya: Hello, Tatyana! I would like to know how quickly a person adapts to new food. For example, to Japanese. For example, I have been a sushi lover for many years. Is it true that my body no longer perceives such food as exotic?

Olga, adaptation is different for everyone. Some people get used to the most exotic food very quickly, others develop individual intolerance for life. If you have been eating sushi for many years without any problems, you can continue to eat them quite calmly. Give preference to freshly prepared sushi at verified places , however, this applies to any food.

Musya: I'm going to Thailand, I really want to try the most exotic fruits on vacation. Is it possible to somehow prepare the stomach in advance? There are more fruits, for example.

It is difficult to prepare the stomach for exotic fruits in advance: they contain substances unfamiliar and unusual for the body. Therefore, the only way out is to start tasting fruits in small pieces . Don't forget to bring your antihistamines with you, even if you haven't had allergies before.

Vasily: Hello! Is it possible to somehow divide products into more exotic and less? Those that can be used with minimal precautions and those that are better not to approach at all? And if so, how to separate them, what to pay attention to? nine0520

As far as I understand, your question is not so much about products, but about dishes prepared from the bottom - after all, the basis of most dishes is ordinary products. Unless you have stomach problems and other health problems, the main reason some foods are "best not to go" is because of a possible allergic reaction. Try to eat food that is as similar in preparation as possible to what you eat at home, with as few spices as possible. nine0063

: Hello. Digestive problems usually occur on vacation, such as bloating, heartburn, constipation, and sometimes lack of appetite. Tell me what can be done to avoid this, maybe you need to somehow prepare the body for a change in time, climate, water, etc.? Sorry if my question is off topic, but I would like an answer. Thanks in advance.