Responsible Alcohol Service on Valentine’s Day

When you are on a date for Valentine’s Day, don’t put that special person in danger by making a bad judgment call and drinking and driving. Drinking alcohol can impair your judgment, even if you just drink a little.

Likewise, one of the most important obligations of an alcohol seller-server is the responsible service of alcoholic beverages. As an employee who sells alcohol to customers, it is your responsibility to ensure you abide by your state’s alcohol service laws.

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Valentine’s Day is also a great time to relax, unwind and enjoy some adult time. But if the event involves drinking alcohol, everyone should enjoy that occasion by drinking alcohol in moderation. Drinking alcohol is serious business that can lead to potentially dangerous consequences – for everyone.

People in the service industry are encouraged to attend an responsible beverage service training course and be trained in how to identify minors and intoxicated persons.

Responsible Beverage Service

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Likewise, as an alcohol server, some general responsibilities include: serving alcohol responsibly and reducing alcohol-related problems.

Alcohol Seller-Server training instructs a server, bartender, store clerk, manager, or business owner about the responsibilities and best practices related to selling and serving alcohol.

Responsible beverage service (RBS) of alcohol responsibilities includes:

  • Service practices that reduce the likelihood of excessive consumption;
  • Identifying and responding to early signs of excessive consumption (e.g., rapid consumption);
  • Identifying intoxicated patrons and refusing service to them;
  • Intervening to prevent intoxicated patrons from driving; and
  • Protecting the establishment and self from liability.
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  • Employees who complete alcohol seller-server training are able to prevent sales to minors, recognize signs of intoxication, reduce liability, and effectively intervene in problem situations.
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Alcohol Impairment Factors

Drinking responsibly also means knowing how much is considered one drink by legal standards (which differs depending on the type of alcohol), and how much alcohol can impair you. Moderate drinking – which means one alcoholic drink per day for women and anyone over age 65, and two drinks for men under age 65 – is considered safe for most people.

How much alcohol it takes to weaken your judgment and coordination also depends on several factors, such as your age, body weight and gender, as well as how much you ate before you drank and how quickly you consumed the alcohol.

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Responsible Alcohol Consumption

There is such a thing as responsible alcohol consumption. Drinking responsibly means, in part:

  • being aware of when you can drink and when you should not;
  • how much alcohol is standard in one beverage;
  • how much it takes for you to feel the effects of alcohol; and
  • what can happen to your body if you drink too much, both at one time and over a lifetime.

Plan ahead

Plan ahead. Make a plan for your event, including how much you plan to drink and safe arrangements for getting from place to place. Then, stick to it.

Set your own limit

To be responsible, you cannot rely on the legal limit alone. If you choose to drink, your own limit may be a lot lower than the legal limit. You should consider how drinking affects you at the time you begin a risky activity, as well as its general effect on you.

Know your family history

If you come from a family with a history of alcohol or other dependence problems, you should be particularly careful about your drinking decisions.

Summary

Enjoying drinking alcohol in moderation is great fun. As with everything, moderation is the key. Not only will you reap long term health benefits, but you’ll be so grateful the next morning when you don’t have to deal with the side effects of a hangover!