11 Ways to Stay Safe at College Parties

MBD Marketing and Events is working hard to support the Colorado State funded campaign, "No DUI Larimer" which is in its 5th year of DUI prevention and education.  This month we are focusing on safe partying. With so many universities in a concentrated area, we have thousands of college students back to school this Fall. Statistically, this time of year yields this highest number of DUIs, fatal accidents and hospitalizations for young adults.

​Every August, Larimer County welcomes tens of thousands of college students back to campuses in Fort Collins and Loveland (and in the other university towns that surround us). With that influx of students comes increased DUI risk, especially for freshmen in their first six weeks of school. Research shows that not only are these first six weeks the most risky, they are the time college students form drinking habits for the remainder of their time at school. 

At No DUI Larimer, we don’t expect college students not to drink (or use marijuana). Instead, we encourage safe drinking and use habits.
 
Whether you’re new to college this year or about to graduate, try these tips to stay safe at your next college party.

• Go with a buddy – If you’re going with a large group, divide into pairs so each person is responsible for one other. It’s much easier to keep track of one person after a few drinks than to try to remember who you came with and be sure everyone is accounted for. So buddy up, and look out for your partner throughout the night. Make a plan for how you’ll get home at the end of the night, and don’t leave until your partner is accounted for.

 

• Eat and drink (water) first – Not only will this give you energy to get through the night, it will lessen the negative impacts of drinking alcohol.

 

• Don’t leave drinks unattended – It takes less than a second for someone to slip a substance into your drink without your knowledge, and date rape drugs are designed to be odorless, tasteless, and colorless. Don’t trust that your friend or acquaintance watched your drink the whole time you were in the bathroom or getting some fresh air.

 

• Don’t accept drinks from others – For the same reasons you should never leave your drink unattended, you also should not accept drinks from others. This includes your friends, who may have set the drink down and inadvertently given someone else the chance to add unwanted substances to it. Likewise, don’t drink from communal containers.

 

• Maintain situational awareness – Be aware of your surroundings. This is easier said than done when you’ve been drinking, which is why it’s important to utilize the buddy system and pace your consumption.

 

• Keep an emergency kit with you – Have a small kit with your ID, phone, keys, and cash or credit card that you can keep on you at all times. Do not set this down or keep it in a loose pocket. If you have space, a phone charger or backup battery is also a good idea.

 

• Plan ahead, and stick to your limits – Decide before you start drinking how many drinks you plan to have. Keep a tally on your phone or have a sober buddy keep track for you. Picking a number and having someone keep you accountable are the easiest ways to keep your intoxicated self from having “just one more.”

• Pace yourself – Just as important as the number of drinks you consume are the intervals at which you consume them. A good rule of thumb is one (or fewer) drinks per hour. Three shots taken in three minutes will leave you far more intoxicated and at-risk than three shots taken over the course of three hours.

 

• Don’t leave with someone you don’t trust – Don’t trust your instinct that someone seems like a good person when you’re intoxicated. The best plan is to leave with the buddy you arrived with. If you can’t, make sure your friends know when you are leaving and who you are leaving with, and that you have a way to call 911 in case of an emergency.

 

• Don’t walk alone – Especially after dark, stay on well-lit, busy streets as much as possible and don’t stray from your buddy. This helps keep your buddy safer, too.

 

• Make the Call for a sober ride home – If you drove, biked, or walked to a party but don’t feel you can get home safely, leave your car or bicycle secured and get a ride home. Even if something happens to your vehicle, your life is far more valuable. You can ride with your friends, or, if you become separated from them, send a text or leave a voicemail letting them know when you’re leaving and which ride service you’re using. If you live in Larimer County, get $10 off a zTrip ride by texting #NoDUI to 970-224-2222. This code can be used once a month, every month. Or, check out our list of all ride services available in northern Colorado.

 
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