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Planning to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this weekend? Check out these tips to have a fun, safe night out.

1. Make it your own

St. Patrick’s Day is often associated with drinking, parties and pub crawls. However, there are a lot of alternative ways to celebrate the holiday. Think through what you’d like to do over the holiday weekend, and remember it’s okay if you don’t want to drink or use other substances. 

If you’re not sure what to do, check out upcoming St. Patrick’s Day events on campus.  

2. Have a plan in advance

Large celebrations and holiday parties can become overwhelming. That’s why it’s important to plan out your night or weekend in advance.

Here are some ways you can plan ahead. 

• Who’s in your group? Think through who you intend to go out with. Ensure that everyone is on the same page about where they want to go and what they want to do. Remember that it’s best to choose a group of friends that you know will take care of you, even if things don’t go as planned. 

• What will you do if your group gets separated? Commit to sticking together and make a plan in advance for what to do if anyone gets separated. Consider how you will meet back up, and make sure everyone knows what to do. Using the ‘share my location’ feature on your phone, in Apple Maps or Google Maps is a great way to let others know where you are. If you choose to use the built-in feature on your phone, you may want to remove permissions later on. 

• How will you check in with friends? Make sure that you have everyone’s phone number saved so you can start a group chat to check in with each other. Be sure to keep your notifications on and turn up your phone volume so you don’t miss calls or texts from other group members. 

3. Make choices that are right for you

Whether you choose to drink or use other substances or not, you should make choices that feel right for you. This may include saying no to a large party or gathering, heading home earlier than your friends or choosing an alternative way to celebrate. 

If you plan to drink or use other substances, be sure to look out for your friends and keep each other accountable. Remember that everyone has a different tolerance and limit, so it’s important to go at your own pace, regardless of what everyone else around you is doing. It can also be helpful to set a limit before you go out. 

Here are some potential limits to consider. 

• Limit the number of drinks you have on a single night. 
• Avoid shots or hard alcohol. 
• Avoid playing drinking games like king’s cup, rage cage or beer pong. 
• Avoid mixing alcohol and other substances. 
• Avoid drinking premixed beverages. Instead, opt for unopened drinks. 
• Alternate between alcoholic beverages and water or other non-alcoholic options. 
• Eat dinner before going out. 

4. Know your no

If you find yourself feeling peer pressured or in uncomfortable situations at a party, come up with ways to avoid unwanted outcomes in advance. 

Here are some strategies you can use. 

• Fill your cup with water to avoid unwanted refills.  
• Let your friends know when you’re ready to leave, and ask them to make sure you get home safely. 
• If someone at a party is making you feel uncomfortable, enlist the help of friends to get out of sketchy situations. 
• Keep track of how many drinks you’ve had based on standard serving sizes (1.5 ounces of hard liquor, 5 ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer each count as one drink). 
• Avoid drinking premixed beverages. Instead, opt for unopened drinks. Never leave your drink unattended. 

5. Be an effective bystander

Friends and bystanders play an important role when someone is vulnerable due to their level of intoxication, or if a person has been intentionally incapacitated by drugs or alcohol. This is because people who are impaired or incapacitated are unable to advocate for and protect themselves. 

While you’re out, look out for your friends and strangers at parties or other events. If you notice something that feels ‘off,’ it probably is.  

Here are some ways you can help or intervene on someone’s behalf. 

• Be direct. In some situations, you can directly approach a person who may need help to ask them how they’re doing, what they may need and if they’d like assistance. 
• Relocate. In some situations, it may be more comfortable to not be direct. If this is the case, you can help by pulling someone out of a situation. For instance, if you notice someone is uncomfortable with a person hitting on them, you can pretend to be friends and invite that person to follow you to a different area before checking in with them. 
• Enlist the help of others. Sometimes the best strategy is to alert others to a sketchy situation. This can include asking friends or other bystanders to help you resolve a situation or help someone in need. 

Learn more about effective bystander intervention

6. Be aware of overdose risks

Drinking too much and experimenting with substances can lead to alcohol poisoning or accidental overdoses.  

Mixing substances: Avoid mixing drugs with alcohol, including prescription medications. Taking more than one substance at a time can increase your risk of passing out, blacking out, feeling sick, doing something you may regret later or accidentally overdosing. 

Accepting drugs from friends: Counterfeit prescriptions and illicit drugs can contain lethal amounts of fentanyl, an opioid that is more powerful than heroin and morphine. This includes things like Xanax, Oxycontin, MDMA, cocaine and more. To avoid a potential overdose, avoid accepting drugs from friends, roommates, strangers or dealers. Make sure you are prepared to respond to a potential overdose at a party or gathering by bringing naloxone. This nasal spray is FDA-approved to temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Students can pick up free naloxone and fentanyl test strips from Health Promotion on the third floor of Wardenburg Health Center. 

Signs that may indicate someone is overdosing include: 

• Passing out or becoming unresponsive 
• Breathing slowly or not at all 
• Vomiting while passed out 
• Pooping or peeing involuntarily 
• Pale, bluish, cool or clammy 
• Making gurgling, wheezing or snoring sounds 

CU Boulder and babyÖ±²¥app Police have policies in place that can protect students from sanctions when they call 911 in an alcohol- or drug-related emergency. 

Connect with resources

Party registration

If you or your roommates plan to host a party, be sure to register your gathering with Off-Campus Housing & Neighborhood Relations. This provides you with the opportunity to receive a warning for noise complaints and other ordinances before officers intervene. 

Party smart tips

Knowing how to party smart can help keep you and your friends safe. That’s why we provide harm reduction tips related to alcohol, fentanyl, marijuana, study drugs, vaping and more. You can also review information on how to respond to an overdose, as well as protective policies like the babyÖ±²¥app 911 Good Samaritan Law and the CU Boulder Amnesty Policy. 

Collegiate Recovery Community (CUCRC)

The CUCRC provides support meetings, recovery-focused housing, events and activities, peer support and more for students in recovery or interested in pursuing recovery from drugs, alcohol, eating disorders, self-harm, other addictions and unwanted behaviors.

Early intervention workshops

Our workshops provide an opportunity for individuals and small groups to gain a better understanding of their relationship with substances and gain the skills and support for behavior change. 

Office of Victim Assistance (OVA)

OVA provides free and confidential information, consultation, support, advocacy and short-term, trauma-focused counseling services for students, grad students, babyÖ±²¥app and staff who have experienced a traumatic, disturbing or life-disruptive event, including sexual assault and harassment. 

* Confidential resource 

Sexual assault workshops

The Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) provides free, discussion-based sessions where participants explore what ideas and messages influence our sexual decisions and communication. They’ll discuss consent, pleasure, the impact of alcohol on sex, and sexual assault.