How to deal with a drunk dinner party guest

Yes, it is the holidays, and we do tend to indulge in food and drink. But it is unfair that a guest who has had too much of his tipple of choice should dictate the mood of the party for everyone else. So here are a few tips for dealing with the drunk guest:

• Don’t lose your temper – stay calm.
• It is pointless arguing with intoxicated guests.
• Inform everyone beforehand that although you want them to enjoy the event and be merry, they should rather not attend if they can not maintain their alcohol intake and their accompanying behaviour at reasonable levels.
• Don’t embarrass your guests in front of others. Take the tipsy parties aside and address them directly in a friendly manner.
• Tell them that their behaviour is unacceptable and that if they were sober they would agree with you.
• Firmly explain that it is still your house and that you care for their safety and reputation.
• If you cannot get your point across, ask another guest to try and talk to the intoxicated person.
• If you decide to ask them to leave, make sure they get home safely. Call them a taxi or ask someone sober to take them home.

What to do if a intoxicated guest insists on driving home

• The party has come to an end or said guests insist on driving home. You do not want to feel responsible if they get injured or even killed in an accident, so here are a few tips to prevent them from driving:
• Let guests put their keys in a hat when they arrive and hide it. Only the guests who are sober when they want to leave get their keys back.
• Simply ask the guests for their car keys. They might surrender them willingly.
• Ask them in a joking fashion, or get one of their friends to get it, or try to distract them and hide the key. They might resign themselves to the fact that they have “lost” their keys and out of necessity have to make other arrangements.
• If they insist that they are only tipsy and can drive, let them know that according to our country’s laws, one drink puts you over the limit.
• Make them aware that roadblocks are more prevalent over the festive season and that they do not want to spend the night or weekend in a crummy jail cell.
• Encourage the person to stay over.
• Call them a taxi or offer to drive them home in their car and call a taxi for yourself. (That is if you are not intoxicated yourself!)
• Always stick to your guns and if need be tell the person that you are so serious about their safety that should they drive you will not hesitate to call the Metro Police.