New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest party holidays of the year. New Year’s Eve is celebrated in numerous countries around the world, from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil to Sydney, Australia. It’s a time of celebration and usually includes generous libations of alcohol and even drugs.
New Year’s Eve is one big party and many recovering alcoholics may face challenges this New Year’s Eve. It’s nearly impossible to escape the temptation of drinking, but it’s best to just stay home. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reported that “during Christmas and New Year’s, two to three times more people die in alcohol-related crashes during comparable periods of the rest of the year.” The Drug Abuse Warning Network noticed a spike in underage drinking related visits to the emergency room on New Year’s Day. The findings of the report in 2009 stated that four times as many underage drinking incidents occur on New Year’s Day.
Drug abuse is also on the rise during the New Year’s Eve celebrations. A growing trend among teenagers who aren’t old enough to drink, are party drugs such as cocaine and ecstacy. Young people can attend all night parties, or raves instead of going to a bar or club that serves alcohol. In 2010, the LA Department of Public Health reported six MDMA (ecstacy) related emergencies due to raves on New Year’s Eve. One of those incidents even resulted in a fatal overdose. A recent report by the United Nations found that 200,000 people worldwide die from drug abuse. The best celebration is a safe one with your family and friends.
It doesn’t matter where or how you’re going to celebrate New Year’s Eve, just make sure you have a plan in place. Make sure you have a designated driver. Pace yourself and try not to drink more than one alcoholic beverage per hour. You can still have the time of your life without having to lose your life or endanger the lives of others. Don’t just think of yourself. Your actions could influence many people around you, who are also just trying to have a happy and safe holiday.
