'Tis the season NOT to be trollied

CHRISTMAS EXCESS: Don't overdo the celebrations.

AS THE silly season descends on us and - hopefully - so does the summer weather, opportunities to get together with family, friends and colleagues tend to increase.

And, for many of us, so does our alcohol consumption.

It goes without saying that in New Zealand alcohol goes hand-in-hand with barbecues, after-work get-togethers, Christmas celebrations and special occasions. But having a few social drinks doesn't have to be about excess.

There are a number of ways you can manage how much people are drinking and levels of intoxication.

Make sure there is plenty of food available throughout the duration of the event, have a variety of beverages - including low alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages - available (you could even try non-alcoholic cocktails), and limit the availability of stronger drinks such as spirits and ready-to-drink (RTDs).

Take the focus away from being solely about drinking and look at creative ways to engage people to interact with each other.

Where children and young people are present, ensure they have a safe, alcohol-free space and have activities to keep them occupied and that they are adequately supervised. And remember - no alcohol for under-18s is safest.

The laws in relation to drinking alcohol and driving changed in late 2014, with the legal limit set at 0.05 blood alcohol concentration and 0.00 for drivers aged under 20. That means, if you intend to drink you will need to find another way home.

If you are organising an after-work function or get-together, a priority should be ensuring your guests make it home safely. In urban areas taxis are readily available; others may need to organise designated drivers.

This time of year is a great time to relax and to start to unwind, celebrate the success and refocus for the coming year. It's an opportunity to spend time with those who matter the most and to focus on "presence not presents".

In order to do this, we need to make sure that we do everything we can to keep everyone safe.

■If you are interested in ways to make healthy change in your life, check out the Healthy Families Whanganui Rangitikei Ruapehu website and join the movement to create a culture where the healthy choice is the easy choice where we live, learn, work and play.