We’ve already covered the various places to have pints with a side of corned beef and cabbage on St. Paddy’s Day. Now comes the time to talk about to do it wisely with safety in mind; we all want to come home in one piece, right?

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) gives some basic suggestions on how to throw safe and fun festivities, including:

• Don’t let guests mix their own drinks.
• Never serve alcohol to anyone under the legal drinking age of 21.
• Provide plenty of food to make sure your guests don’t drink on an empty stomach.
• Offer non-alcoholic beverages with festive names.
• Don’t rely on coffee to sober up guests.

MADD offers more suggestions in their Safe Party Guide.

It may also be wise to find alternatives to driving, such as Regional Transit, to get to and from festivities. Taxis such as Sacramento Yellow Cab (916-444-2222) may also provide safe transportation to someone whose had one too many drinks. Sacramento State students can use Safe Rides (916-278-8294), which extends throughout most of the City of Sacramento; be sure to have your OneCard.

Bottom line: be safe and have fun.