No matter who you are, how old you are, or where you are going, if there is going to be alcohol served, the best thing you can do for yourself is to make a plan ahead of time and stick to it.

The question you have to ask yourself is, "how am I going to get back home?" No matter what answer you decide on, you should stick with it. Because after a drink or two, you won't be competent to make that kind of decision responsibly. As you should already know, alcohol affects your judgement. To be safe, your decision has to be made ahead of time. And if you decide to abstain from drinking and drive yourself home, than you had better abstain from drinking, for the same reason. After a few drinks, you may not make the right decision on your own!

The answer to the question "how am I going to get back home," depends on your answer to another question. "Will I be drinking?" Of course, if you are under 21, the answer to this had better be no -- drinking alcohol under 21 is illegal. But no matter what age, if the answer to "will I be drinking?" is yes, you need to decide how you are going to get home. Below are some popular and effective methods of getting home safely. But the most important thing to remember is: when you have been drinking, any alternative is better than driving yourself.

Designated driver. If you go somewhere with one or more friends, then a good method to use is the designated driver method. Between you and your friends, decide on one person to be the designated driver. This person must agree to abstain from alcohol and provide a ride home for the rest of the group. He or she is responsible for making sure that everybody else in the group gets home safely, so make sure the designated driver knows who he or she is!

Call a cab. That's one thing cabs are there for. If you plan ahead, you won't have to leave your car anywhere.

Arrange for someone sober to drop you off and pick you up. If you can't find a friend or relative who wants to go with you, at least arrange for somebody to provide transportation. They don't have to stay.

With planning, you can not only save your own life, but prevent yourself from getting into any situations where other people have to save you.