Drunk in Public

Written and Designed by Drew Wixom

Six Ways to Stay Safe While Going Out

As with many other college students my age, I enjoy drinking with friends. And while it is objectively safer to have drinks in a private sphere, like the home, there is a social element to drinking in a public setting that elevates the whole experience. Going out to a bar or club can create opportunities to expand your participation and interactional units, allowing you to meet new people, interact with groups in which you may be unfamiliar, and open yourself to new experiences. However, consuming alcohol in public does dramatically increase the potential for danger. Let me say this plainly: Bars are not safe spaces. There is a combination of factors in bars and clubs that converge to create a volatile, emotionally charged environment. While it does create opportunities for new experiences, not all those experiences are guaranteed to be wholesome or leave you feeling great. We all want to go out, have a couple drinks, and have fun. And we want to feel safe doing it. Ensuring that we are following best practices to stay safe and removing ourselves from dangerous situations is vitally important when drinking in public. Following these six tips will ensure that the good times will keep rolling, and going out to drink never has to be associated with the negativity and trauma that so often accompanies public intoxication. Cheers.

1. Coordinate your ride home before leaving.

man's arm sticking out of a rolled down driver's window The easiest way to stay safe while going out to drink is to coordinate a safe ride to and from the bar. Never drive drunk. According to the NHTSA, drunk driving accidents are responsible for 11,000 deaths every year. About 1/3 of all traffic-related deaths are due to alcohol intoxication. When going out in a group, choose one person to stay sober to drive everyone home. Otherwise, schedule an Uber or Lyft to pick you up at a designated time. It is important to coordinate your ride home before leaving for the bar. Do not wait until you’ve already consumed alcohol to devise a plan to get home. Alcohol impairs judgement, and it is important to ensure a safe way home before you become impaired.

2. Have a plan. And stick to it.

filled out planner with a pen and red coffee mug Finding a safe ride home should only be one element of your plan. There are several other factors to be mindful of when planning your night out. For starters, you should be familiar with the location. Plan where you are drinking, and with whom. If you’re unsure of a bar, look it up online. Look at reviews and photos, paying attention to the area where it’s located. Make sure your phone is charged before going out. Avoid drinking alone. Going out with a group of trusted friends not only makes you feel more comfortable in public, it helps insulate and protect the individuals of your group. When meeting friends, coordinate your plans to arrive and leave together, minimizing your time spent alone. Set time limits for yourself and your group. A bar’s peak hours are typically between midnight and 1 AM. (For more information regarding liquor sales at peak hours, refer to this Union article). Arriving early to the bar and leaving before peak hours not only prevents you from becoming overly intoxicated, but also limits the number of overly intoxicated people you encounter in the bar or on the roadways home. Have an idea of how late you want to stay out and how much you want to drink. And stick to your plan. Avoid going to a second location, especially with strangers. More importantly, do not allow someone you do not know to come home with you. If you have thoroughly planned out your evening, and stick closely to your plan, you minimize the dangers of drinking publicly tremendously.

3. Know your body. Arrive prepared.

closeup angle of a man in scrubs wearing a medical mask Drink plenty of water and eat a full meal at least one hour before consuming alcohol. Staying hydrated and drinking on a full stomach are two of the easiest ways to affect your body’s absorption of alcohol. Alcohol is absorbed quickest in the small intestine. The longer alcohol stays in your stomach, the slower it is absorbed and the slower it affects your body. The difference is significant. (Consult this Healthline article for more extensive information). Interestingly, the only way to speed up the sobering process is by excreting the toxins broken down from the alcohol in urine. With your kidneys working overtime to process the toxins already in your body, it can be difficult to stay hydrated while drinking. It is best practice to consume 16 ounces of water for every alcoholic drink consumed. The more water you drink, the easier it is for your body to flush the alcohol and mitigate negative physiological effects. When drinking, trust your instincts. Everyone handles their alcohol differently, so know your limits. Do not drink to the pace of others. Pay attention to your personal alcohol tolerance. Pace yourself, limiting the number of drinks you consume per hour. Avoid mixing different types of alcohol. Mixing types of alcohol and combining alcohol with other substances can greatly increase your chances of getting sick. Be aware of how you’re feeling and note any significant changes to the way your body feels. If you have had too much to drink, find someone you trust and find a safe place to sober up. After returning home, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid taking any pain relievers. This will put further strain on your liver and can cause irreparable liver damage. If you are taking prescription drugs, be extremely careful when consuming alcohol. The combination of the two can have serious side effects. Check the label of your medications before drinking to ensure safety.

4. Set boundaries with strangers.

one hand refuses the cigarettes offered by another Making a plan, coordinating a ride, and knowing your physical limits are great ways to stay safe when drinking in public. However, these steps hardly account for the other people drinking in the bar. Bars and nightclubs are unique environments, with the lines between public and private environments shifting constantly. In many ways, bar environments are designed to be conducive for new connections between strangers. Meeting new people can be the most enticing part of drinking in public; lowered inhibition and boosted sociability create a hotbed for new friendships. However, not every person you meet at the bar will have your best intentions at heart. Numerous studies have assessed the relationship between the density of alcohol establishments in an area and the rates of violent crime around that area. There is a definitive correlation. Because of the unorthodox hours, chronic understaffing, and constant stream of new customers, bars are popular targets for criminals. And while there are plenty of quality, upstanding citizens who frequent bars, it is not best practice to assume that a stranger can be trusted. When drinking in public, set boundaries with anyone you’re meeting for the first time. These boundaries are not designed to make the stranger feel uncomfortable or defensive, but to limit the opportunity for theft and assault. For starters, never accept drinks from people you don’t know. Odorless, tasteless drugs can be dropped into your drink without you noticing. New research conducted by the University of South Carolina has revealed that ‘drink spiking’ is massively underreported and therefore significantly more widespread than previously believed. Some studies have resulted in as high as 7.8% of the surveyed students reporting that they have been drugged in the past.(See the article by TIME). To effectively prevent this from happening, do not accept drinks from anyone other than the bartender or the people you know. If you can, watch the bartender pouring the drink, and carry it to the table yourself. Additionally, do not leave your drinks unattended. If you need to use the restroom or need to take a phone call, ask your friends to watch your drink. If you are alone, take your drink with you or throw it out. As mentioned above, do not deviate from your plan for the sake of someone you just met. Avoid becoming separated from your group in public. Do not step outside or leave the bar with a stranger. If someone you don’t know is making you uncomfortable or unsafe, do not ignore those feelings. Trust your instincts and find help. You do not owe it to anyone to be polite or conversational after lines have been crossed. Establish your boundaries with the stranger and politely ask them to leave. This is the value of going out in groups. Having a support system can help mitigate uncomfortable or unsafe public encounters with strangers. If the stranger persists, find a bartender or bouncer, and report the encounter with them. In extreme cases, never hesitate to contact the local authorities.

5. Be respectful of shared spaces.

bustling city street outside the bar Another effective way to stay safe while drinking in public is to be respectful of shared spaces. Be mindful of the environment around you. Often, when intoxicated in public, people tend to blur the lines between public and private spheres.(Linked is a fascinating article breaking down the role of bars in the public.) Conversations that would only be appropriate amongst close friends in a private setting begin to be approached in public. Do your best to distinguish the limits of each environment while interacting within it, and approach your conversations accordingly. Avoid taboo or polarizing subjects when speaking with your friends. Use fitting language, avoid inflammatory statements, and speak at an appropriate volume. Remember that the people you are addressing are not the only ones listening. We were all taught to respect the beliefs and opinions of others. That concept should not erode with the consumption of alcohol. You never want your good time to prevent someone else from enjoying themselves. Understand the nature of a public, shared space and utilize good judgement. Follow the established rules of the bar and maintain proper conduct with those around you. While this may seem straightforward or self-explanatory, it is extremely common for intoxicated people to disregard rules and laws while under the influence. Following the rules, even when drunk, is the best way to avoid confrontation in public. Vaping inside the bar, taking your drink outside to smoke, yelling loudly, saying inappropriate things, and causing problems with other bar patrons are the quickest ways to upset people, cause a scene, and get kicked out of the bar. In my experience, a general disregard for shared spaces is the most common cause for physical altercations within the bar. When in doubt, follow the golden rule. When interacting with strangers, be polite and treat them with respect. When rejecting the interest of a persistent stranger, avoid being rude or hurtful. Too often, an inflammatory or rude rejection will lead to an overly aggressive response from the rejected person. Remember, alcohol can exaggerate the emotions of the user and lowers inhibition. Be honest with them, but understand that how you say something is sometimes just as important as what you say, especially when alcohol is involved. Navigating shared spaces with intention and tact is a great way to ensure the safety and good time of yourself and those around you.

6. Know when it is time to go home.

suburban home lit up at dusk Because of the dynamic nature of bar environments, it is common for plans to change. Often, nights spent drinking in public play out very differently than originally intended. When having a great time, the last thing you want to do is have it end. However, you must safeguard yourself and your plans to prevent putting yourself in dangerous situations. A drunken opportunity for a good time should not take priority over a sober plan made to keep you safe. If you find yourself deviating from your established plan, you should go home. Do not drink more than you originally planned. Do not ignore your established ‘end’ time, even if you’re having fun. You must hold yourself accountable, in any state, to stand fast with the boundaries that you set for yourself. Additionally, if you are made to feel unsafe or uncomfortable in a public setting, remember that you can always leave. Even if you feel like you should confront someone or stand your ground, it is always the safest option to go home. Trust in the judgement you had when sober and understand the effects alcohol has on your judgement and decision making. You don’t owe it to anyone to stay in a place you feel is unsafe. And if anyone, stranger or friend, tries to make you feel guilty for leaving, recognize that they are not someone you should trust in similar situations going forward. It is a difficult realization to come to terms with, that a close friend doesn’t prioritize your safety, but it will help keep you safe in situations going forward. When leaving the bar, walk out with the group that you came with and ensure everyone has a safe ride home. Do not leave any members of the group alone to wait for their ride, and don’t let your friends walk home late at night. Start a group chat and ensure everyone sends a text when they make it home safely.

In Conclusion...

Drinking in public can be a great time. There is a sociability and sense of fun that goes along with drinking alcohol. Some of the most fun nights of my life have been spent out drinking with friends. And some of my most lasting relationships started under the dim light of a dive. It’s important to stay safe and be responsible when drinking in public. Following these few guidelines and respecting those around you is a great way to ensure that the good times keep rolling.