Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day Responsibly

On March 17th this year no matter your ethnic background everyone be-comes Irish! Yes, St. Patrick’s Day will soon be upon us and the green beer will be flowing! Although we all love the “wearing of the green” it is also a time to be careful that our revelry doesn’t turn into tragedy. As we all have witnessed St. Patrick’s Day has become associated with heaving drinking.

Originally it is thought that this became so because Lent was temporarily lifted for the day according to Catholic tradition. Whatever the reason sales of alcohol soar during this time of the year and it is important to be aware of your drinking and of those around you. In fact the latest statistics available reveal that 276 people were killed by drunk driving related car accidents from 2009-2013 on St. Patrick’s Day.

As a result you can plan ahead to ensure that you drink responsibly if alcohol is part of your celebration. The following are some suggestions for keeping your drinking in check:

• Plan ahead and set a limit to the number of drinks that you will have
• Pour and measure your own drinks
• Limit yourself to one drink per hour to give your body the ability to process the alcohol
• Alternate an alcoholic beverage with a full glass of water
• Eat a meal before you go out
• Plan to have a cab pick you up from the celebration

Have a Happy St. Paddy’s Day and live to see another!

Teddi Krochman LCSW/Executive Director, Breaking Free