This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Hofstra chapter.
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner! One of the most crowded holidays of the year (and definitely the greenest), this is a prime time to hit the streets of big cities, watch or participate in parades, attend house parties, or simply barhop in your hometown. We’re all excited for it, but before you and your friends start affixing four leaf clover stickers to your faces like your lives depend on it, it’s important to think of safety. Navigating through big crowds, and presumably lots of drunken people, means that you can’t just hope for the best. No matter how you celebrate the day, keep these tips in mind.
- Make a game plan. Sometimes the last-minute decisions make the best memories, but you do need to have a little structure. Just cover the basics: who is your core group with whom you’ll be leaving and coming back home? If you think you might split up, when or where will you meet back up? How will you all get to and from wherever you decide to go? Speaking of that…
- Have a designated driver. It seems obvious, but accidents caused by drunk driving happen every year. If you know you’ll be traveling, you need a designated driver. If you’re not sure what your plans are but there’s even a slight chance driving will be involved, you need a designated driver.
- Stay in contact! Keep your phone on you. You can keep it in your pocket the majority of the time and just keep it on vibrate. If you think you might end up sending regrettable texts, losing your phone, or forgetting you even have it, pass it to a sober friend. Make sure you’re always with someone from your group.
- Eat and drink. Drinking on an empty stomach or getting dehydrated are fast paths to getting sick. The consequences can range from leaving the party way too early to getting serious alcohol poisoning. Take care of yourself.
- Watch out for your friends. You can’t count on everyone else to act safely. If something just seems off—they feel sick, they’re talking to someone you don’t trust, they have their car keys when they definitely shouldn’t—take action and tell someone else if necessary.