10/30/2025
Celebrate This Year’s Halloween Alcohol Free
Notorious for Binge Drinking
For many of us, holidays are a time for socializing and celebrating. These times of getting together often come with large amounts of drinking. With thousands of house parties, college parties, bar festivities, and public events, the rate of binge drinking is so large that it is recognized as a “well-known drinking day”. But sometimes the excessive holiday drinking relates to more serious reasons, such as peer pressure and emotional coping. The holiday of Halloween is also known to be one of the most dangerous when it comes to intoxicated driving.
DUIs and Crashes on Halloween Night
The holiday season, spanning from October to January, has the highest counts of DWI-related incidents and citations. Halloween, often celebrated with candy and costumes for kids, is celebrated by young adults and even some teens with late-night alcohol consumption. Statistics report that 44% of US fatal crashes on Halloween night involve drivers with an average BAC of 0.08. From the times of 6 pm and 6 am on the night of Halloween, there have been over 150 reported DWI-related crashes resulting in a fatality.
Tips for Parents
It’s a fact that Halloween festivities can be celebrated without the consumption of alcohol or putting others’ lives in danger with drinking and driving. Here are some ideas we’d like to share with teens, parents, and adults about other ways to celebrate Halloween safely and alcohol-free.
Encourage Safety for Your Teens
At the beginning of adulthood, teens want to spend time with their friends and try new things. Being a parent of teenage kids can be worrisome when you think about their safety and the influences they face. As a parent, take the time to discuss your child's Halloween plans with them. Are they going out? Are they going to a party?
Don’t stress about having a serious conversation. Keep it open and keep it friendly. Ask them about their plans, what time they’ll be leaving, and what activities they’ll be participating in. But be sure to mention the risk of engaging in things like alcohol and drugs. Let them know you want them to have a good time. But also let them know you want them to get home safely. Parents have a responsibility to inform and influence their children. Show them that you care.
Tips for Young Adults
Young adults, if you are participating in the evening festivities, here are a few tips you can keep in mind to have an exciting and worry-free night:
Be the Designated Driver
It might sound like a boring job or a chore. But being the designated driver for the night helps prevent holiday DWIs and accidents. In this case, you’ll be able to join your friends and have a solid reason not to participate in drinking. Although it sounds like babysitting your friends, keep in mind, the role of the designated driver is greatly appreciated, and you are making the roads a bit safer.
Find a Ticketed Event
Halloween offers a variety of fun local events that you and your friends can attend, many of which aren’t limited to drinking activities. Here are a few suggestions:
Walkthrough Haunted Houses and Mazes
Halloween Themed Concerts
Fairs and festivals
Historic Haunted Tours
Keep it simple, go to the movies, and catch a horror flick
At Home Halloween Ideas
Would you rather kick back and take it easy this Halloween? Not really in the “going out” type? Don’t worry, you can still participate in the festivities with these simple ideas you can do from the comfort of your home.
Hand Out Candy
If you aren’t the party type, but have the Halloween spirit, one of the best things you can do is hold down the fort and pass out candy to the neighborhood trick-or-treaters. Make their nights memorable by decorating your place like a haunted house. Come up with a fun costume to wear when you answer the door.
Movie Night
If you know Halloween, then you know that it’s the best night to grab a couple of friends and have them over for a movie marathon. Call up some buddies, make some snacks, grab bags of candy, and settle in for a full night of campy horror.
Practice Your Culinary Skills with Halloween Baking
There is an endless galaxy of Halloween recipes for baking, edible snacks, and non-alcoholic drinks you can spend the night making. Even better yet, make it a baking party! Buy a bulk of baking supplies and have a few friends over to create some delicious ideas!
