Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
www.alcohol.gov.au
Australian Alcohol Guidelines Fact Sheet - Hosting A Party?

PDF printable version of Australian Alcohol Guidelines Fact Sheets - Hosting A Party? (PDF 34 KB)

Hosting a party can be lots of fun but there are some short-term risks hosts should be mindful of when serving alcohol.

Serving alcohol what hosts should know about short term health risks

There is strong evidence that drinking environments can have a substantial influence on the risk of injury and other forms of short-term harm associated with drinking. Short-term risks include the risk of injury, interpersonal violence and accidental death, as well as broader health effects such as stress levels, sleep disorders, reduced circulation and sexual dysfunction.

Much can be done to reduce these risks and the guidelines offer strategies that can help hosts do this through responsible hosting behaviour.

Guidelines to minimise the risk

The guidelines recommend that to minimise risks in the short term:
  • on any one day men should have no more than 6 standard drinks;
  • on any one day women should have no more than 4 standard drinks.
These drinks should be spread over several hours. A useful guide is for men to have no more than 2 standard drinks in the first hour and 1 per hour after that, and for women to have no more than 1 standard drink per hour.

Minimising the risk

It’s recommended that people who are responsible for private drinking environments should:
actively promote responsible drinking;
  • strive to make sure that those being served alcohol do not become intoxicated, and suggest alternatives to alcohol;
  • refuse to serve alcohol to people who are intoxicated;
  • minimise the potential for harm in the setting;
  • closely supervise or monitor young people.

Helpful tips

Serving drinks

To help people keep a check on how much they have been drinking:
  • don’t serve drinks in large containers (jugs, casks, flagons);
  • let people top-up their own glasses;
  • avoid serving home-mixed drinks, like cocktails or punch, where the alcohol content is ambiguous; and
  • encourage people to monitor their drinking.

Provide non-alcoholic drinks

To reduce the risk of intoxication people can alternate between non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks.

Make food available

Providing food is another important strategy to reduce the short-term risks of alcohol. Eating while drinking is an effective means of minimising intoxication, and providing food at your party can ameliorate the shortterm risks from alcohol. Avoid serving salty snacks as salty foods make people thirsty, so they drink more.

Provide safe transport

It is important to make sure that your guests have a safe way of getting home, either from a sober designated driver or a taxi service, to minimise the risk of an alcohol-related accident.

Plan ahead

Have a plan of action if one of your guests becomes intoxicated. This will help you to minimise any risk to them and your other guests.

For more information contact John Noble, Media Unit on 0413 890 241.

Principal Source: Australian Alcohol Guidelines: Health Risks and Benefits (2001); NHMRC