How to Prepare for a Night of Drinking Safely & Responsibly

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Learn what you should do to prep for a night out at the bars

Co-authored by Ian Kroes, MD

Last Updated: November 14, 2024

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Preparing to Go Out

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Drinking Responsibly

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Staying Safe

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Expert Interview

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Expert Q&A

Going out for a night of drinking can mean some great times with friends. If you are not prepared, however, it can also lead to poor choices, a hangover, or even worse. To get ready for a night out, remember the three P’s: Prepare ahead of time, have a Plan, and Pace yourself.^{[1]
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How to Prep Yourself to Go Drinking

Get plenty of rest and food before you go out.
Leave valuable items at home.
Bring at least one friend so you can look out for one another.
Always have a designated driver or sober ride home lined up.
Pace yourself when drinking so you don't get too drunk too fast.
Drink water in between alcoholic beverages.

Part 1

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Preparing to Go Out

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Get plenty of rest beforehand. You probably won't be getting much sleep the night you go out. You could end up at an after-party with the band or doing karaoke with the DJ's aunt. Either way, you are probably not going to sleep early. Drinking also interferes with your ability to get R.E.M. sleep, so you probably won’t rest well when you finally do get to bed. Getting plenty of rest before going out drinking is essential.
- If you know you're going to go big this weekend, make sure you get adequate sleep during the weekdays to prepare.
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Plan to go at the right time. A night of drinking can disrupt your ability to stay focused, solve problems, and do complex tasks long afterwards. For example, drinking five or more drinks in a night can affect your brain and body for up to three days. If you’re planning to go out drinking, it's best not to choose a night that’s right before a test, major work project, etc.
- Taking a break now and then from drinking as an activity can also be a good idea. For example, designating one weekend a month as an alcohol-free period can help you rest and recover.
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Eat well beforehand. If you drink on an empty stomach, you will feel the effects of alcohol much faster, which can mean your night ends too soon. If you eat well and drink plenty of water before going out drinking, your body will slow its absorption of the alcohol you drink.
- Eating beforehand stops you from feeling drunk as fast, but your body will still metabolize all of the alcohol eventually. In other words, you will still be affected by the alcohol, but you will not feel it as quickly.
- Good choices of foods and drink to consume beforehand include bread, meat, cheese, pasta, milk, etc. (all foods which will be digested slowly and/or are high in protein).
- Continuing to eat protein-rich foods while drinking will also slow your body’s absorption of alcohol. If you can, carry healthy snacks in your backpack, purse, or close by incase you need a snack to slow down alcohol absorption.
Alcohol can impair your decision-making abilities, so it is a good idea to agree upon a plan for the night before going out. Make sure you and any friends joining you agree on where and when to go, and when to return. Make sure that everyone will have a safe way home at the end of the night. Sticking to a plan like this will help keep anyone from getting lost or separated and from winding up in a dangerous place or situation.
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Arrange transportation. If anyone will need a vehicle during the night, make sure that someone serves as the designated driver, or that a taxi or public transportation can be arranged.
- Protect yourself and others. Don't drink and drive.
It can be easy to lose things when you are drinking, since alcohol can impair your judgment and short-term memory. Bars, clubs, and other locations can also be crowded, increasing the risk of loss or theft. To prevent this, leave unnecessary valuables at home and keep a close eye on personal items such as a wallet or purse.

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Drinking Responsibly

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Pace yourself. Drinking too fast is one way to ruin a night. If you have too many drinks in a short period of time, you may not realize how much alcohol you’ve had and end up sick or worse. Drinking no more than one drink an hour gives your body some time to metabolize the alcohol so that you don’t become too drunk too fast.
- Remember that all drinks aren’t the same. 12 ounces of beer, 8 or 9 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of wine, and 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor generally have roughly the same amount of alcohol.^{[2]
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  Research source} When keeping track of the number of drinks you’ve had, however, remember that the alcohol content of individual drinks can vary widely. A high-gravity ale, for instance, could have nearly twice as much alcohol as the same amount of a light beer.
- If you are having mixed drinks, make sure that someone you trust is doing the mixing, and not making them too strong.
- Drinking water in between alcoholic drinks helps you to stay hydrated and from getting to drunk too fast. Just remember “Spacers, not chasers!”^{[3]
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Don’t drink too much. Going out drinking with friends can be a way of having fun if everyone is safe. It might even seem funny if someone winds up passed out on a stranger’s lawn wearing someone else’s clothes. It’s important to realize, however, that drinking too much can be dangerous and even deadly.
- Females are recommended to drink no more than four drinks at a time, and males no more than five.
- If you are drinking at high altitudes, remember that your body’s tolerance for alcohol may be lower.^{[4]
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- Avoid binge drinking, keg stands, and drinking games. These activities can cause you to drink too fast, lose control, become sick, or even experience alcohol poisoning, which can be deadly.
- If you are worried about drinking too much, or drinking too quickly, you can try showing up late to the bar, party, club, etc. That way, you’ll have less time to drink. You can also try starting with or switching to a soft drink at some point so that you drink less alcohol.
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Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after a night of drinking alcohol. This helps to space out your alcohol consumption so that you don’t drink too quickly. Alcohol dehydrates you as it is absorbed and metabolized, and this can cause a hangover. Replacing that water as you drink and when you wake up will help to ward off the dreaded hung-over feeling.
- Many bars have pitchers or containers of water out so you can help yourself. Make sure you locate this early in the night and visit often.
- If you are at home or at a house party, keep a bottle of water with you so you can hydrate throughout the night.

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Staying Safe

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Use the buddy system. If you drink with friends you trust, you can help each other stay safe. Make sure that everyone knows the plan for the night, stays together, and makes good choices.
- Even if no one will be driving, you might want to designate someone to stay sober for the night. This person can help make sure everyone stays together and safe.
- If at least two people stay sober for the night (to be the DD or otherwise), it can be more fun for them, since one person won’t be left alone not drinking.
- You and your friends can take turns being the DD/sober person on different nights.
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Stay away from trouble. Before going out for a night of drinking, make sure that you and your friends have a plan in place for where you will go, who will be there, and how everyone will get home safely. If you see anything or anyone that looks suspicious during the night, stay away. Things to watch out and stay away from include:
- Bar fights
- Suspicious people
- Dark, isolated places
Don’t leave your drink unattended or accept drinks from strangers. This will ensure that you do not have a drink that has been “spiked” with a drug or other substance.
Alcohol’s effects can be intensified when combined with other substances, including prescription medications. You may also not know how the combination of alcohol and another substance will affect you, making it more difficult to stay in control of your actions and stay safe.
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Be wary of the “beer goggles effect.” Alcohol can lower your inhibitions and also impair your ability to make good judgments. Make sure that you can trust the people you are with and avoid making decisions you’ll regret later.
- Be prepared to practice safe sex if you think it might be part of your plans for the night.
Even if you are drunk, or drinking underage, seek help if someone becomes injured, unresponsive, violent, or seems in danger of harming him/herself or someone else. Sensible authorities are more concerned with making sure that people stay safe and protected than with who's drinking what.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Are there any telltale signs that a drink has been spiked?

Ian Kroes, MD
Family Medicine Physician
Dr. Ian Kroes is a board-certified Family Medicine Physician and the Founder of Peninsula Doctor, a concierge medical practice in Menlo Park, California. With over 20 years of professional experience, Dr. Kroes specializes in Primary Care, which encompasses care for the entire family. In addition, Dr. Kroes has a deep interest in longevity care that focuses on ways to optimize patients' health. This includes attention to nutrition, fitness, and preventative testing. Dr. Kroes received a B.S. in Applied Physical from UC Berkeley and has earned a medical degree from Stanford University.

Ian Kroes, MD

Family Medicine Physician

Expert Answer

The most common thing someone would put into someone's drink would be a sedative that would give people the same symptoms as alcohol. Generally, it takes 20 to 30 minutes to absorb and start to work. The timing would be the best indicator: 20 minutes after ingestion, then a peak between 30 minutes to an hour and a half after ingestion.

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