PIACT Offers Tips For Holiday Party Givers

HARTFORD — With the holiday season and all those parties rapidly approaching, Professional Insurance Agents of Connecticut Inc (PIACT) reminds party hosts that insurance agents can help you plan for coverage if a guest is injured in your home. PIACT recommends checking your homeowner’s policy for adequate limits. Before you host your party, call your insurance agent. Have him or her explain what coverages you currently have and what coverages you might need.

When planning a gathering, remember that not everyone will be drinking alcohol. Have plenty of nonalcoholic beverages available, suggests PIACT.

“Home hosts have a double duty, now more than ever, to be courteous and entertaining but also to be responsible and conscientious about the alcohol they serve. Most important, they must see that intoxicated guests do not get behind the wheel of a car,” said PIACT’s Jeffrey Parmenter, CPCU.

“Holiday tradition is important, but sometimes it puts our safety and that of others at risk. We want people to know there are simple ways to reduce these risks,” he said.

If guests become intoxicated, it is the host’s duty to oversee the transportation arrangements. If any of the guests has had too much to drink, take his or her car keys and call a taxi, or ask someone who was not drinking to drive the person home. Be careful not to serve alcohol to minors.

Under Connecticut state law, besides being liable for reckless service to intoxicated guests, an individual may be held liable for unlawfully furnishing or assisting in the procurement of alcohol to minors. PIACT recommends limiting access to the bar if minors are on the guest list.

“You should verify your young guests are of age before you serve them an alcoholic beverage,” Mr Parmenter warned.

PIACT recommends several tips to help hosts ensure safety when serving alcohol at holiday parties:

*Have a responsible bartender. Ask a friend or relative you trust to act as a bartender. Do not have an open bar.

*Serve alcoholic drinks only upon request and offer a variety of nonalcoholic beverages such as sparkling water, juice, and soft drinks.

*Avoid making alcohol the main focus of the social event. Create a setting conducive to easy, comfortable socializing. Entertain guests with music, games, and dancing. This encourages conversation and social interaction rather than heavy drinking.

*Always serve food when serving alcohol. High protein foods such as meat and cheese take longer to digest, slowing the rate at which the body absorbs alcohol. However, try not to serve salty foods. They make people thirsty, so they drink more.

*Cut off access to the bar one to two hours before the end of the party. Serve nonalcoholic beverages and desserts at that time.

“This holiday season, be a responsible host,” Mr Parmenter concludes. “The anguish and heartbreak an accident will cause could bring a tragic end to the holiday season.”

PIACT is a trade association representing professional, independent insurance agencies, brokerages, and their employees throughout the state.