Obviously, the main consideration with safe use of alcohol is limiting consumption rather than getting blinding drunk. Here are some additional tips to stay safe on your travels but still have a good time.
1. Protect yourself against anything getting slipped into your drink.
The are a bunch of techie solutions you can use to protect yourself against getting roofied. See this for an overview. The article they link to seems to be missing but they summarize it anyway. Pick your favorite from the options.
2. Carry a torch on your keys or wallet.
If you have a small torch it’ll help prevent you having difficulty getting into your lodging in the dark. Showing yourself to be stumbling around trying to get in, probably isn’t a great idea. A small torch can be helpful for finding your room keys or anything else you might need out of your bag.
3. Let people know your plans.
If you’re going out on the town, make sure someone knows your plans and when to expect you back. For extra security, you can turn on location tracking on Google Plus and share your location in real time with someone you’re close to. If they become concerned about you, they can just look up where your phone is at on a map. Of course, this isn’t going to help you if your phone is flat, so make sure it’s fully charged when you go out. Better yet, have an option for back up charging like a purse that charges your phone.
4. Consume alcohol places you feel safe.
For example, you might feel better having drinks at your hotel bar or nearby so that getting home is not too much of an issue. Consider waiting a few days to get accustomed to your surroundings before you go out drinking. Keep a business card with the address of your local in your wallet or somewhere safe, so you can hand it to a taxi driver when you need to get back to your hotel. It might also be a good idea to have the numbers of reliable taxi companies preprogrammed into your phone before you go out.
5. Ideally drink with a sober companion.
If you’re lucky, you might be traveling with someone who doesn’t drink but who still likes to go out. Having someone in your party who isn’t drinking is always a good way to stay safe, although we recognize that this isn’t always possible.
Photo Credit: Creative Commons, Sam Howzit