Toast the Day Away

Picture this: in the midst of the summer, you and your friends are at the annual summer beach party. People are lying out, swimming in the ocean, playing beach volleyball and socializing, all with red solo cup in hand. You look over and you notice a friend of yours is passed out on a lawn chair- still holding on to a drink. He must have been out for a good while because you also notice the terrible sunburn spreading throughout his arms, neck, legs and- the worst of them all- face, leaving a perfectly pale outline of Ray-Bans. When your friend wakes up, he is moaning, grunting, confused and in terrible pain. He is hung-over and sun burnt. Bye bye fun-filled weekend.

This situation is not rare. It happens to kids every year across the country and abroad. Day drinking is one of the most anxiously awaited parts of summer, but it is also one of the most dangerous. As if being in the sun all day doesn’t make you tired already, throwing back a few beers on a comfortable lounge chair definitely has the potential to knock you out. So how can you go about having a great time dartying without putting yourself at risk? Our readers have some great advice:

“Its important to stay cool but still protect yourself from the sun. I like to wear a mesh jersey while day drinking. That way I can still wear a bikini or bandeau underneath but I’m protected nonetheless. Obviously sunscreen is needed though, too.” – Danielle DeFrancesco, Junior, Miami University

“The most important thing is to eat before you start drinking. If you’re starting early, kegs and eggs is always nice or even just the regular barbeque is great for summertime day drinking. Especially in the morning, it is important not to rush into drinking with tons of shots. Take it slow.” – Justin Berkowitz, Day Drinking Enthusiast, Junior, Bradley University

“One of my best day drinking experiences was when my friends and I went to a concert and wanted to bring drinks in with us. In order to get past security we put mixed drinks into Camelbak backpacks. No one noticed- besides our friends who all wanted to try drinking out of them!” – Adam Smith*, Senior, Wesleyan University

“One of my favorite day drinking games is Louisville Chugger. It’s really fun and definitely embraces the season with America’s favorite summer time sport, baseball.  Other than that, I definitely recommend drinking a lot of water once you are done day drinking, taking a nap and setting a really loud alarm so you can wake up refreshed and ready for the night.” – Rachel Sher, Junior, The George Washington University

*Name has been changed.