St. Patrick’s Day and Spring Break Safety Tips

Spring Break is typically a prime time for vacations and partying. The week of Spring Break often includes the St. Patrick’s Day holiday on many college schedules, which means even more opportunities for drinking green cocktails. Though Spring Breaks may look different this year, it’s important to stay responsible and safe. 

Whether it’s a Spring Break hot spot or a small St. Patrick’s day party, overindulgence can still have disastrous effects. You can end up with a DUI, or seriously hurt. Planning ahead and sticking to those plans can help keep you safe from both legal trouble and other potential dangers. 

Spring Break Safety Tips

Many college students travel for Spring Break to have fun, enjoy warm weather, and meet new people. This year, traveling is out of the question for most, but it’s likely some people plan on taking a trip anyway. Also, the lack of travel plans may inspire people to plan at-home parties or events, which can be just as dangerous. 

If you’re planning on taking a trip or attending a party over Spring Break, follow these tips to stay safe: 

• Use the buddy system — when traveling with friends, make sure you stay with them when out and about. This is particularly important if you’re in an unfamiliar location. If you arrive at a bar, restaurant, club, or party together make sure you leave together. 
• Don’t leave with strangers — it might be tempting, especially since many people love to meet new friends on Spring Break. But don’t go to another location. You may wind up without a safe way home, or worse.
• Never drive under the influence — the good thing about vacation spots is they tend to have many options for travelers to safely get back to their hotel or rental. Call a cab, hotel van, or use Uber or Lyft rather than drive drunk. 
• Keep track of your drinking — it can be easy to lose track of how many drinks you’ve had, especially if you’re on vacation. But overindulging can be dangerous, especially when out in the sun. You can become dehydrated and suffer more serious health issues too. 
• Keep your phone charged — you can obtain extra batteries and portable batteries that can help with this task. This will ensure you can get in touch with your travel companions or call for help if you’re separated or become ill.

If you do decide to travel, we hope you do so safely.

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day Safely

Green cocktails abound, and leprechauns are dancing a jig. A typical bar on St. Patrick’s Day is crowded full of people standing shoulder-to-shoulder, enjoying pints of Guinness or sips of whisky. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the fun can lead to tragedy, with many drunk driving accidents and deaths over the holiday weekend.

While parades bring out crowds, it’s likely they will be cancelled this year. However, many are still determined to celebrate. Here are some tips for doing so safely: 

• Remember to eat — many choose to start drinking early in the day on St. Pat’s, and continue throughout the day. It’s important to soak up the alcohol with food. You’ll feel better, and more in control if you do. 
• Change the focus — St. Patrick’s Day tends to revolve around drinking, but there are other ways to celebrate. Throw a party where the star is a delicious corned beef meal, or view some Irish dancing shows online. You can still have green cocktails, but they don’t need to be the main event.
• Use public transportation or call for a ride — if you don’t have a safe ride home, there are options available. Choose one of these to avoid a potential accident or arrest.
• Buckle up — buckling up can help keep you safe if you do get in an accident, so don’t forget to do it. 

It’s important to remember that there will be others on the road who may be inebriated. So be mindful of not just your own actions, but others too.