The Easter weekend is the start of the first school holidays of the year and for many a time for travelling on a well-earned break with family and friends. Unfortunately, it can also be a time of irresponsibility — with unpleasant consequences.

"With many holiday-makers taking to the road over the Easter weekend, it is important to keep a responsible mindset," advises Adrian Botha, of The Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA), an organisation which promotes the responsible enjoyment of alcohol beverages and is supported by the alcohol beverage industry in South Africa.

"We believe that people are still able to enjoy themselves when they are on holiday, but that they should responsible and conscientious about the choices and decisions they make," added Botha.

Here are some tips from the ARA to enjoy your drinks and social time with your family and friends over the Easter weekend:

• Drink plenty of water before, during and after drinking alcohol.
• Always eat before drinking alcohol and try to eat while drinking — choose foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates, i.e. burger and chips. There are many 24 hour fast-food outlets.
• Don't swim when you've had alcohol.
• Drinking on the beach is against the law and can be very dangerous, as can drinking at the river or the dam for those who live inland.
• When planning to go on a night out, agree upfront with a friend that he/she will be the designated driver.
• It is far cheaper and a lot more sensible to club together with your friends to hire a car or mini-bus with a driver than to pay bail money for a night of fun.
• Keep the number of a cab company on your cellphone and ensure that you have enough money set aside in your purse/wallet for this, should you know you are not in a position to drive home.
• Don't supply drink to underage persons — the South African legal drinking age is 18.

Very importantly, as alcohol affects your judgement and reaction times, driving is out of the question. The physical and emotional trauma caused by drunk drivers is entirely preventable.

Alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents are one of the most common causes of death among individuals aged 15–20 years old.

The message is simple: if you've been drinking, don't drive!

Alcohol is a depressant — it can affect your reason, judgement and coordination, and slows down your reaction time. This means that if you drink to excess, you're putting yourself at risk.

The results could be relatively minor — perhaps you might not realise that your jokes aren't going down too well — or it might lead to serious risky behaviour, such as unprotected sex.

For parents:

For young people parties are important for their social development, however, it is important for parents to know what their teens are up to.

Below is a list of guidelines to help parents fulfill their responsibility with respect to teenage parties.

• Contact the parents hosting the party. Try to communicate this with your child.
• Talk to your children about your expectations and the consequences of their not living up to them.
• Make it clear that they cannot leave that party to go to another venue without your permission.
• You, as the parent, should pick your child up from the party.
• Set a curfew and communicate the consequences of not sticking to it.

Botha concludes by saying that drinking alcohol is a matter of individual judgement and accountability. It's been a part of social life and celebrations around the world for thousands of years. Drinking sensibly means you can enjoy yourself — and stay safe.

Be a role model, if you drink, do so responsibly. If you have a drinking problem, or think you may have one, seek help.

Where to get help:

Alcoholics Anonymous South Africa National Helpline 0861 435 722
Narconon South Africa 011 622 3998
AL-ATEEN General Service Number 021 595 4508
Life-Line 0861 322 322