Some tips from the National Safety Council:

If you are attending a Saint Patrick’s Day celebration and plan on using alcohol:

• Designate your sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys;
• Don’t starve yourself before or during the party. Enjoy the food as well as the drink;
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself – eat, take breaks, alternate with non-alcoholic drinks;
• If drinking, don’t even think about getting behind the wheel. Ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend or family member to come and get you; call your local sober rides program; use mass transit; or stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober;
• And remember, Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk. Take the keys and never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are attempting to drive.

If you are hosting a Saint Patrick’s Day party:

• Serve lots of food – particularly high-protein dishes;
• Be sure to include lots of non-alcoholic beverages, desserts and coffee;
• Be sure all of your guests designate their drivers in advance;
• Help arrange ride-sharing with sober drivers; and
• Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.