Super Bowl should mean super safety

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tim Beckham
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  As millions of people will gather around televisions to watch the Indianapolis Colts take on the Chicago Bears this Sunday, or Monday for us here, people should be wary of safety to make sure their Super Bowl Sunday doesn't turn into a super disaster.

It is a commonly known fact that the Super Bowl has become a near-national holiday for Americans, and according to www.laprensa-sandiego.org, the Super Bowl is the top at-home party event of the year, surpassing even New Years Eve.

With that said, when many people think party, they think alcohol, and as most of us know alcohol can cause us to do things we may not ordinarily do.

According to www.marininstitute.org, Super Bowl Sunday is recognized as our nation's unofficial binge drinking holiday, and is a peak day for many of alcohol's second-hand impacts like driving under the influence and alcohol-related violence, not to mention high absenteeism at work the next day.

So as we prep for what is also the second largest day of food consumption behind only Thanksgiving, it is important to remember that safety comes first.

"Everyone who plans on hosting or attending a Super Bowl party should be aware that Monday is not a holiday for us at the tip of the spear," said Col. "Tip" Stinnette, 39th Air Base Wing commander. "I encourage everyone to have a good time but to do so smartly."

If you are attending a Super Bowl party:
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself - eat, take breaks, alternate with nonalcoholic drinks.
- Designate your sober driver before the party begins and give that person your vehicle keys.
- If impaired, don't even think about getting behind the wheel. Ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend or family member to come and get you; or stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
- Take the keys and never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired.

If you are hosting a Super Bowl Party:
- Serve lots of food - particularly high-protein dishes - and be sure to include lots of non-alcoholic beverages.
- Stop serving alcohol at the beginning of the third quarter of the game - begin serving coffee and dessert.
- Be sure all of your guests designate their drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with sober drivers.
- Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.