Tailgating Tips

  • Provide ample food for guests before ever consuming alcoholic beverages.
  • Designate a driver prior to tailgating.
  • Notify security of any rude, unsportsmanlike or offensive fans.
  • Call security if you suspect someone could be a danger behind the wheel.
  • Keep families in mind when using language.
  • Support zero tolerance for underage drinking.
  • Supervise the distribution of alcohol at your tailgate, keeping in mind the legal drinking age and need for moderation.
  • And remember, it takes at least one hour for your body to fully process one standard drink (one 12 oz beer, one 5 oz glass of wine or 1.5 oz of spirits). Drinking coffee, taking a cold shower or chugging water will not speed that up. Plan ahead, and always drink responsibly.

MUST HAVES

  • Remember all your cooking and cleanup gear, including: trash bags, resealable bags, a can opener, a bottle opener, serving bowls, serving utensils, eating utensils, paper bowls and plates, plastic cups, paper towels, coolers with ice, grill, charcoal/gas, a lighter, an oven mitt and cooking utensils.
  • Don't forget the creature comforts! Bring sunscreen, an umbrella, hand sanitizer, coozies, sunglasses, binoculars, rain gear, towels, blankets and your camera. And of course, your team gear.
  • Show your team spirit, and decorate your tailgate with your team colors.
  • Bring a portable music player and radio.
  • Don't forget comfortable chairs.
  • Get to the stadium early to ensure you have a good parking spot around other tailgaters to enjoy the pre-game camaraderie.
  • Provide plenty of water and non alcoholic beverages to your tailgaters.
  • Respect the fans. Respect your team. Respect the law.

Whether you choose to drink or not, you may find yourself in a situation where your friends, family and/or tailgate neighbors are consuming alcohol. It is important for you to know how to handle those situations effectively. With TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) training you will gain the skills you need to prevent intoxication, drunk driving and underage drinking.

Effects of Alcohol

Your best tool for assessing a person's level of intoxication is their Behavioral Cues. There are four cues to watch for that can tell you whether someone is or is becoming intoxicated.

  1. Inhibitions – Becoming talkative and relaxed, or displaying a notable change in behavior, can indicate lowered inhibitions.
  2. Judgment – Behaving inappropriately, annoying others or increasing the rate of drinking are examples of poor judgment.
  3. Reactions – Glassy, unfocused eyes, talking and moving slowly, or having difficulty with small motor skills demonstrate slowed reactions.
  4. Coordination – Stumbling or swaying, dropping things and passing out are all signs of a loss of coordination.

The Behavioral Cues occur progressively as people consume more alcohol. But people are affected by alcohol at different rates. This is due to the impact of Intoxication Rate Factors, which can help you determine how quickly someone is likely to become impaired.

  1. Size – Smaller people are sometimes affected more quickly than larger people.
  2. Gender – Women tend to become impaired faster because they are smaller and have a higher percentage of body fat, which does not absorb alcohol.
  3. Rate of Consumption – The faster someone drinks, the more quickly they will become impaired.
  4. Strength of the Drink – Each drink contains a different amount of pure alcohol, which causes intoxication.
  5. Food – Eating before drinking alcohol can slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.
  6. Drug Use – Alcohol is a drug, and can interact unpredictably with other drugs, including over-the-counter, prescription and illegal.

Intoxication Rate Factors impact how quickly a person's Blood Alcohol Content, or BAC, will rise. BAC is the legal measurement of the amount of alcohol in a person's blood. In most areas, the legal limit for driving is a BAC of .08. It is impossible for you to determine a person's BAC. But there are some important guidelines to remember:

  • The more alcohol a person consumes, the higher the BAC level will be.
  • A person's BAC level can be different each time he or she drinks.
  • The higher the BAC level, the more behavioral cues you are likely to see.
  • Time is the only thing that can lower a person's BAC level. Cold showers, food and coffee will not have an impact.

T.I.P.S. Program

Behavioral cues and intoxication rate factors are a sampling of what is offered in the TIPS (Training for Interventions Procedures) program. You can obtain TIPS certification by attending an instructor-led session, becoming certified as a TIPS trainer (enabling you to train other people), or completing the online eTIPS course. For more information on any of these options, visit TIPS online at www.gettips.com or call 800-438-8477.

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