Many of us would do whatever it takes to protect a loved one without any hesitation. If a stubborn friend or a family member is about to drive drunk, it is best to do everything you can to stop him/her. If that person refuses to give up the car keys, take them, even if it involves going against what you believe in.  If a friend is adamant on driving, when you know they shouldn’t, this may be one of the only times you should do whatever it takes to stop them. So, below are some tips on how to prevent a friend from driving drunk.

  1. Trick the intoxicated friend into giving you the keys. Say something like: “I left my cigarettes in your car, can I see your keys?” or, “You left the dome light on in your car – I’ll turn it off for you.” These little white lies not only can save your friend’s life but the life of innocent people too.
  2. Why not offer to pay for a cab or drive them home yourself and offer to take them to their car the next day? You can even drive their car back to their house and just spend the night there. If the intoxicated is walking home, grab another friend and walk the person home. You might want another friend with you to keep you company on the way back.
  3. Help the intoxicated person to sleep. This doesn’t mean put the person in a choke hold and choke them out –  instead set up a place where the person can lay their head down for a while – in the car, in a room, anywhere that’s safe. It may be difficult to get the drunkard to go to bed, but remember when someone is intoxicated all they need is some TLC.  Grab a few friends to help carry the person where they need to be, but make it fast. You don’t want to have their dangling body over your shoulder for too long as vomiting is often part of the equation.
  4. Make them throw up. Don’t punch them in the stomach or anything, just advise your friend that throwing it all up will make them feel better. Of course,  the person will refuse (especially if its a guy) due to loss of man points for vomiting. To trick a person into throwing up may be a bit weird and maybe even slightly wrong in the eyes of some, but it is always an option. The safe way to get someone to throw up their alcohol is to force them to drink a lot of water, I mean a lot of water – that usually does the trick.
  5. If all else fails, steal their keys. Sounds sneaky, but it’s better than losing a friend or loved one – plus, it might be fun. The only drawback to stealing their keys is that they might get angry if they find out. Another way to handle the situation is to have a group of close friends advise the person it’s for their own safety. As long as the keys are not in the person’s possession, you know they can’t drive home.
  6. The main goal is to protect your intoxicated friend by showing them that you truly care for their well-being. With enough alcohol, anyone can fall into an uncontrollable and even dangerous mindset. Worst of all, they may be completely blacked out and you may not even know it. Many drinkers have woken up the next morning clueless of what they did the night before. So, it’s better to do everything you can to make sure your friend wakes up safe and not in jail, or worse. Lying, cheating or stealing may seem a bit underhanded, but if it’s to save the life of a loved one – totally worth it.