Responsibilities & Liabilities

As the host of a special event, you:

• can be held legally liable for the safety and sobriety of your guests.
• can be held responsible for injuries or damages that occur as a result of the alcohol you provide.
• are responsible for your guests at any function that you organize, either personally or professionally, such as family parties, outdoor festivals, including weddings, street parties and company parties.
• may be held responsible for the safety and behavior of your guests until they're sober, not just until they leave the premises where the event was held.

Risk Reduction

You can lower your liability risks by learning how to prevent guests from overindulging at your next event.
This includes:

• never allowing already intoxicated persons into your event
• never serving alcohol to people under the legal drinking age of 19 years
• encouraging responsible consumption, discouraging excessive drinking and not serving alcohol to anyone you suspect has become intoxicated
• preventing drunken, violent or disorderly conduct at the event
• never raffling alcohol or holding contests that involve buying, drinking or winning alcohol
• never letting guests drink and drive
• never make drinking the focus of your event
• serving alcohol only within the allowed hours for Special Occasion Permits
  (Monday to Saturday: 11 am to 1 am;  Sunday: 12 noon to 1 am;  New Years Eve: 11 am to 2 am)
• always serving food with alcohol
• offering a variety of low-alcohol and alcohol free drinks

You may also lessen your risk by hiring a licensed caterer or bartender who has completed Smart Serve® training.  Smart Serve training covers topics such as recognizing and preventing intoxication, dealing with guests who have had too much to drink, and meeting your legal responsibilities.

Handling Intoxicated Guests

Handling a guest that has become intoxicated is never easy.  Often, the person's judgment is impaired and they may not be ready to admit that they have had too much to drink.  As a host, it's important that you know how to handle an intoxicated guest.

• Never serve guests to the point of intoxication.  If you notice that trouble is starting - such as verbal arguments - intervene in a friendly manner and try to diffuse the situation.
• Use tact.  If you can, get the person who has been drinking away from the area and other guests.  Speak to them directly and privately.  If you can't calm the person down, you may need to ask a friend of theirs to help encourage the person to leave the event.
• Convince the guest not to drive.  This includes any motorized vehicle, including cars, boats, snowmobiles, recreational vehicles and motorcycles.  Convincing a guest not to drive can be a real challenge.  Don't be afraid to show your concern for your guest's welfare.
• If the person will give you their car keys, take them and store them away.  If the guest will not give you the car keys, and you know they are unfit to drive, you may have to resort to stronger measures such as calling the police.

Signs of Intoxication

Watch for these signs that someone is becoming intoxicated:

• fumbling
• change in speech volume or pace
• slurred speech
• sleepiness
• red eyes
• excessive sweating
• decreased alertness
• stumbling or weaving
• noticeably shallow breathing

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