How to be a sensible party animal this festival season

It is always a great idea to be safe than sorry while enjoying a party. Keep these do's and don'ts in mind, writes Smiti Munwani

How are you going to say goodbye to 2011 and welcome the first rays of 2012? Maybe huddled in your blanket in front of the TV watching the world celebrate or partying with a small group of friends.

If you are the partying kind then the New Year could herald a lot more to cheer about. The start of the year generally sees party animals warm up to clink the glasses. Are you fully equipped for all the action that is about to come?

Yes, most party-goers would say that they are ready. But in these crime-infested times it is always a great idea to be safe than sorry while partying. And this holds true especially for girls who can become vulnerable if someone has mischief on the mind.

Remember those headlines that scream date rape, or how 'friends' at a party laced someone's drink or how a party was just a 'front' for drug romps where innocent people were sucked in. The other hazard of partying can be drunken driving and serious accidents.

Thus, there are some important rules to remember while partying. If you are going to consume alcohol and have a tendency to go overboard sometimes, the first and foremost thing to keep in mind is to make sure that there is someone who will stay sober and can drive you back home. You don't want to pay for your partying with your life or for the rest of your life! That would be a very silly thing to do.

Thus the first thing to keep in mind while going to a party is to ensure that there is an arrangement for you to get back home safely. Never, never hitch a ride with people you don't know or don't trust. Especially if you are a girl then never get in a car or vehicle which is full of males, regardless of their ages. The scenario can be potentially loaded if people in the car have been drinking.

But if such a situation arises where you have had drinks and are in no condition to drive or do not feel secure taking a ride back there is no point in risking a late night adventure. It would be safer to request your host if you can stay the night at his or her house. Going back home the next morning is always a much better option.

On a high

Newspapers and television news channels keep reporting about drug busts at fashionable parties where substance abuse is rampant. Drugs like marijuana, cannabis, cocaine, LSD, Ecstasy and other lethal chemical cocktails are freely used. The important thing to remember here is that even if you don't do drugs you will surely be rounded up if there is a police raid.

Imagine the ignominy of being nabbed with the possibility for your face being shown on news channels. Nothing could be more humiliating for you or your family. Your image would take such a severe beating that you may as well go underground for a few months. But even that will not restore your dignity.

It is something that no longer happens only in the West. With the European and American cultures invading the lives of young people, date rape drugs are becoming a social reality in some parties.

Drink with caution

It is always a good idea, no matter how trustworthy your friends are, to get your own drink from the bartender. Have it made in front of you. Once that's done then sip it slowly and taste it carefully to make sure you are drinking what you want to drink and not what someone else wants you to drink and possibly lose your consciousness in the bargain.

But despite all the caution that you exercise it is always a good idea, especially for girls, to have a protective 'weapon' in the handbag. A pepper spray, whistle alarm or a stun gun is easily available in the market. Keep one handy for an untoward emergency. But it is important to have your wits around you and use it when the need arrives.

Girls must be careful the way they dress. Though they are free to wear any kind of clothes it would be best to avoid provocative apparel which will attract avoidable attention and give guys all kind of wild ideas. Go ahead, be with the fashion but wear a sensible attire that is elegant and trendy but not overly flashy or revealing.

You should never go overboard with your food. Be a sensible eater and don't gorge yourself with the oily stuff which would make you inflate like a balloon. Have smaller portions and keep it light and easy on the stomach. Limit your dessert as well. If you have a cough and cold or other flu-like symptoms do not go to a party where you can infect others. Always wash your hands thoroughly. If you are at a party where other people may be coughing or sneezing. — NF