Eat, Pace, Plan

This year, supported by the Mayor of London, the City of London are encouraging people to have fun, but be safe in the process. As part of the campaign, a digital toolkit for City workers and employers has been created, offering top tips and a variety of useful links.

Last year, the London Ambulance Service responded to 5,526 alcohol related incidents of which took place in December. This seasonal strain on the emergency services can be avoided if we all work together to make sure we Eat, Pace, Plan.

Nobody wants to be a scrooge and we want people to eat, drink and be merry but we’d like parties to end without the use of a blue light service.

To do this we recommend that you think of these Three Wise Things. Try to always enjoy a meal before you go out, pace your drinks and plan how you’re getting home.

• Eat: eating before drinking helps to slow down the absorption of alcohol. Christmas parties should include food of some kind, even if it's just snacks. If this isn't possible, staff should be encouraged to eat beforehand.
• Pace: pacing and spacing drinks can slow the rate of drinking, whether this is with non- or low-alcoholic drinks, or water.
• Plan: we all know that our decision-making can become fuzzy after a few glasses, so planning in advance how to get home from the party and making sure there's enough battery on the phone to order a taxi, can ensure a safe return home.

A toolkit is available as part of the campaign, which includes guidance, key messages and even draft social media posts, which can be used on organisational intranets, too. The electronic toolkit also gives lots of handy tips to help you pace and monitor your drinking this Christmas.

"When you’re pre-occupied with party planning it can be easy to forget to plan what you’re doing after. It can be as simple as pre-booking a taxi or knowing where your nearest station is but if you’re struggling then the toolkit has a link to Transport for London’s journey planner."

This all seems pretty straight forward (of course) but by following these simple steps you can have a great time over the festive season, stay safe and reduce the burden on the emergency services.

#EatPacePlan and have a Merry Christmas!