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The coming months are a really fun time of the year – filled with holiday parties, celebrations, and family gatherings. There's nothing better than getting together with the people you love and enjoying good food and laughter.

Many peoples' holiday celebrations include alcohol, but what you might not know is that as a party host, you can be liable for the actions of intoxicated guests after they leave your house or event venue. These laws, called "social host" laws, vary from state to state. All 50 states have laws regarding the serving of alcohol to minors, and in some states, like Pennsylvania, this is the only situation in which social host liability applies. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia, however, have social host laws that apply to guests of all ages. 

In order for social host to apply to you, there are a couple of conditions that have to be met:

1.    You must have been aware, or should've been aware, that the guest who caused injury/damage after leaving your gathering was intoxicated.

2.    You knew the guest who caused the injury/damage would be driving after they left your gathering.

Please consider taking the following steps to keep your guests and others safe if you serve alcohol:

1.    Stop serving alcohol after a few hours and replace it with coffee.

2.    Give your guests plenty of food so that they can keep their stomachs full.

3.    Decide on designated drivers to take intoxicated guests home.

4.    Keep a list of cab numbers by the phone for guests who shouldn't drive.

5.    Stay sober so that you can keep track of your guests' sobriety.

You should have fun this holiday season, but make sure you do so responsibly so that you can look back on the upcoming months as times of fun and happiness.