Be a Responsible Host
Do you want to know how to host a great party? Here are some tips for being a responsible host.
What is Social Host Liability?
Sharing your home with family and friends is often where the best memories are made. But nothing ruins the fun faster than an injury or damaged property that comes as a result of consuming too much alcohol. Adding alcohol to your party raises important issues about your guest’s safety and your legal liability.
As a host there are two main types of liability that you should be aware of:
- Provider Liability (PDF 772KB, page 3) limited to individuals who serve or provide alcohol to a person who they know or ought to know is already intoxicated.
Although many hosts assume that “my friend won’t sue me” if a friend leaves your home intoxicated and injures another person, the injured person may sue you. This is called third party liability.
- Occupier Liability (PDF 772KB, page 6) failing to safeguard entrants. Occupiers must ensure that their property is reasonably safe in terms of the physical conditions, the people they allow to enter and remain, and the activities they permit to occur.
The Cost to Individuals
The cost to individuals can vary dramatically. Here are a few cases to help illustrate this: Stringers v. Ashley (PDF 772KB, page 8) and Chretien v. Jensen (PDF 772KB, page 6).
How Can You Be a Responsible Host?
With some proper planning and basic precautions you can host a great party while decreasing the risk of accidents, injuries and potential legal liability. Here are a few tips:
Planning:
- Check the property for potential hazards before guests arrive. Making even minor changes such as locking the gate to a pool, replacing a burned out light bulb or tightening a hand rail on the stairs can help to ensure your guests safety
- Tell those that you invite that there will be a zero tolerance for impaired driving. Try:
- Offering space for people to sleep over
- Providing a phone number for a local hotel
- Providing a phone number for a local taxi company
- Plan to serve plenty food, but avoid salty, sweet or greasy foods that will make people want to drink more
- Plan to make alcohol available only after activities like swimming, boating, snowmobiling etc. are completed
Serving:
- Plan to serve drinks rather than have a self-service bar
- Only serve alcohol to those 19 years of age and older
- Do not serve alcohol to someone who is already drunk
- Offer guests non-alcoholic drinks
- Use a shot glass to measure drinks and avoid serving double shots
- Do not plan drinking games that can encourage intoxication
- Stop serving alcohol long before the party comes to an end
Supervising:
- As the host, plan to drink moderately or not at all so that you can react quickly to prevent or deal with problems that arise
- Monitor your guests for signs of intoxication
- Do not let an intoxicated guest drive. If you cannot stop them, call 911 to protect them and others from injury, death and/or a criminal record
Employers as Hosts
Hosting a corporate party is a great way to celebrate successes or to say “thank you” to employees for their hard work. When planning such events employers also need to be aware of their potential legal liability while hosting, organizing or sponsoring corporate events where alcohol will be served. Provider liability and occupier liability also apply to employers as hosts, so if alcohol is going to be served as part of the event it is important to take the appropriate steps to avoid being sued.
The Cost to Business
The cost to businesses can vary dramatically. Here are a few cases to help illustrate this: Hunt v. Sutton Group Incentive Realty (PDF 913KB, page 7) and Jacobsen v. Nike Canada Ltd. (PDF 913KB, page 6).
How Can Employers Be Responsible Hosts?
Employers should take some of the same basic precautions when hosting, organizing or sponsoring corporate events involving alcohol. Here are some additional tips for corporate events:
Planning:
- Determine if you will require a special occasion permit for your event
- Develop a workplace policy that outlines expectations around alcohol use at company events. Be sure that all employees are made aware of this policy and that it is enforced
- Plan for intoxicated guests to get home safely. This may include offering taxi vouchers or subsidized taxi fairs
Serving:
- Consider hiring trained servers to serve alcohol to your guests
- If alcohol is being sold at the event do not set the price so low as to encourage heavy alcohol consumption
Facts and Stats
- In Canada, alcohol is involved in an estimated 40% of traffic fatalities (MADD Canada)
- Alcohol-related car crashes are the leading cause of death in Canadians under the age of 40 (MADD Canada)
- 40% of boating and drowning deaths and 50% of violent crimes have been linked to alcohol (MADD Canada)
- Alcohol use is a major cause of unemployment, absenteeism and workplace injuries. In Canada productivity losses have been estimated to have cost $6.2 billion (MADD Canada)
- In a U.S. survey of human resource managers, one-third reported observing inappropriate behaviour at company parties including excessive drinking (25%), rowdy behaviour (11%), unwanted sexual overtures or advances (6%) and fistfights or other altercations (2%) (Alcohol Policy Network)
Resources
Still have questions? Contact us.
Other Topics
