This weekend, the Colts will play the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV. While the game may be held in South Florida, Kansans will also celebrate the day, many meeting friends and family to cheer on their favorite team. The Super Bowl is often an occasion for parties and drinking.
If you are planning to have a Super Bowl party at your home, there are ways to make the occasion a safe one. Plan ahead of time for guests who may be impaired to stay at your house. Have your guests hand over their keys when they arrive. As a host, you should make sure you or a guest stay sober so friends and family can get a safe ride home. It’s easier to stay sober to give someone a ride, than to make the drive to pick them up in jail after they receive a DUI, or worse, they are involved in a serious traffic crash. Make sure your get together offers plenty of non-alcoholic alternatives for drinks.
Another important thing that’s often forgotten by hosts: Kansas’ Social Host law. Social hosting is providing and/or serving alcohol to a young person who is under the minimum age of 21. It can take place in a party-like atmosphere or by any adult simply providing alcohol to young people and their peers for them to drink. It can even extend to parents and homeowners who are not on the premises and/or did not provide the alcohol. Penalties for breaking this law include possible jail time, fines ranging from $1,000 to $2,500, and civil lawsuits. Social hosting also sends a message to teens telling them it’s okay to drink.
If you’re planning to join the festivities from a bar-like setting, make sure you have a sober designated driver, someone willing to pick you up, or bring cab numbers with you to call for a safe ride home. Check in your community to see if any businesses or colleges offer a safe rides program.
Regardless of how you plan to celebrate the Super Bowl, and regardless of who wins, make sure you and your loved ones have a safe trip—Drive safe, Sober and Buckle Up. Here’s hoping everyone has a fun, and safe weekend!
Do you have questions or suggestions? If so, please send them via e-mail to: KSHighwayPatrol@khp.ks.gov.
Colonel Ernest E. Garcia
Colonel Ernest E. Garcia
About the Kansas Highway Patrol
- KS Highway Patrol
- Since 1937, Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers have offered Service, Courtesy, and Protection to the residents of the Sunflower State and to its millions of yearly visitors. More than 800 dedicated men and women are proud to serve the citizens of Kansas as members of the Patrol. They work hard and strive for excellence in public safety and traffic safety.