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After a decade of being hit with anti-drinking and driving messages, every Canadian probably knows by now the dangers of letting people climb behind the wheel of a car after they've had "one more for the road." It's become a natural part of organizing organizing holiday parties and free-flowing good cheer: most hosts automatically encourage safeguards such as designated designated drivers to make sure that no one leaves a party intoxicated without without a safe way home. • But beyond the obvious host responsibility responsibility of ensuring that guests don't drink and drive, legal trends in the last few years have suggested an additional layer of concern for people who plan to serve alcohol to guests in their homes: host liability for the actions actions of guests. A new Insurance Bureau Bureau of Canada legal study offers some sober thoughts for would-be hosts. The case outraged many people who believe in the principle that we are not "our brother's keeper One of the key areas where legal attitudes have changed in recent years is that courts have been assigning assigning an increased responsibility to tenants tenants and homeowners for what happens happens on your property, regardless of your role in it. Perhaps you heard about the Stringer vs. Ashley case last year, where a jury awarded two million dollars to a man who broke his neck diving from the roof of the Ashley's home into a backyard pool - even though Mrs. Ashley had explicitly warned Stringer, not to dive. The jury found that the warning was not an adequate adequate safeguard, saying that the Ashleys could have called for help, told Stringer to leave, stopped the party or locked the door. The findings in this case outraged many people, who believe in the principle principle that we are not "our brother's keepers." While that principle is still alive in the courts, the Ashley case reflects a clear tendency to increase the typés of situations in which one person is required to control the conduct conduct of another. This legal framework means that when we're serving alcohol to guests, it makes sense to do what people have been more and more likely to do in recent years - serve alternatives to alcohol, ijiake sure that no one who will be (hiving is drinking, and appoint appoint designated drivers. But those simple protections of your guests should also be carried one step further, further, toward the goal of preventing serious inebriation regardless of whether or not the guest is driving. In other recent liability cases, hosts have been sued because their drunken guests have been injured after after leaving the premises. In Quebec in 1986, a man entered a tavern at midnight, where he continued drinking drinking until 11 the next morning. On leaving, he fell down a flight of stairs and injured himself. He successfully sued the tavern - because the court found that the server showed indifference indifference to the fact that the man was drunk and would eventually have to use the stairs. Similar cases underline the point that there are risks other than the drunken patron or guest driving away from the place where the alcohol was consumed. Even if the intoxicated person arrives home safely, he or she might slip in the shower, fall asleep while smoking, or get into a car and drive somewhere else. To date, most host liability cases have been against commercial establishments, establishments, but judges are more frequently frequently applying the same principles of "provider liability" to hosts at home. What this translates into is that as a host serving alcohol - to any number of people, from one to 1000 or more - you have two serious responsibilities. responsibilities. The first, which many people already do, is to protect other people from die actions of an intoxicated intoxicated guest - by not letting him drink and drive, for example. The second responsibility is a little more complicated complicated - it's to protect the guest from his own foolish actions. Keeping host responsibility top of mind doesn't have to put a damper on holiday merriment - it just means moderation and common sense. Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) represents the companies that protect your home, your car and your business. For more information on how you can "Take Charge" of safety, safety, call IBC in Toronto at 362-9528; from the 807 area code call collect (416) 362-2031 ; from elsewhere in Ontario 1-800-387-2880. THE COMBINED CHOIRS OF Maranatha Christian Reformed Church, Bowmanville and First Baptist Church, Oshawa present their annual CHRISTMAS CONCERT under the direction of Mr. Cory Kuipers Saturday, Dec. 17,8:00 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18,7:00 p.m. ' Maranatha Chr. Ref. Church First B aptist Church Highway 2 East, Bowmanville 812 Hortop, Oshawa Free Admission At the crossroads of #115, Concession #3, and North Street in tire village of Newcastle Rev. Robert Brouwer, Pastor SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11,1994 10:30 A.M. WORSHIP AND THE WORD Special Guest: REV. STEVE SPARLING 6:30 P.M. JOINT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION At Liberty Church, Bowmanville The KING'S KIDS present: 'THE BEST STORY EVER' WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 7 P.M. •Bill and Gloria Gaither's Homecoming Christmas with theirHomecoming Friends'(featured on large screen projection):; © Children's program during Sunday services. Come visit Crossroads this week and discover 'a place of new beginnings'. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 987-9955 6v The Clarington Independent, Bowmanville. Saturday, December 10,1994 7 Moovin' and Groovin' Club Entertained by Sensational Seven This group of entertainers known as "The Sensational Seven" entertained at the Movin' and Groovin' Club's annual Christmas party held at the Lions Centre. The Club offers a variety of exercise classes for seniors. The entertainment at the December 7th Christmas party showed the versatility of the young performers.. performers.. Their program included singing, dancing, and comedy. Most of the members of the group are studying at the Creative Dance Workshop or the G. Randolph School for Performing Arts in Toronto. The Sensational Seven are: Anthony Hartsell, Christina Apsega, Erinlea Reagan, Jason Twaidovsky, Joey Weinerman, Graham Coffeng and Natasha Gibson. Also with the group is Angelo Bortalazzo, who helped with the music and taping of the show. Give a Piece of the Rain Forest World Wildlife Fund is urging Canadians Canadians to give gifts of tropical rainforest rainforest this holiday season. For $25, individuals can purchase a WWF Guardian of the Rainforest certificate certificate and, thereby, help protect an acre of Latin American tropical forest. Funds raised through the Guardian of the Rainforest Program support the more than 200 WWF conservation projects currently underway in Latin America. These include: the expansion expansion of the Monteverde Nature Reserve Reserve to protect Costa Rica's most important tropical forest; the development development of sustainable agricultural practices around the Rio Platano Biosphere Biosphere Reserve; and the establishment establishment of the world's first jaguar reserve reserve in Belize. "The Guardian of the Rainforest Program is the perfect opportunity for Canadians to show they care about the world's dwindling tropical forest by purchasing an original holiday holiday gift for friends and family", said Steven Price, Vice-President of International International Programs for WWF Canada. "It's the kind of gift that really does keep on giving, long into the new 1 year". Members of the public can order their Guardian of the Rainforest certificates certificates by calling World Wildlife Fund at 1-800-26 - PANDA. World Wildlife Fund Canada is part of the international WWF network network which now comprises more than six million members worldwide. WWF is dedicated to saving the diversity diversity of life on earth, for its own sake and for the long-term benefit of Come and Worship with us Sunday, December 11th, 1994 at 11 a.m. St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church 623-3432 Temperance and Church St,, Bowmanville Rev. Ted O'Neill Interim Moderator © humans. The organization is current- oriented conservation programs in ly implementing its unique, action- more than 90 countries. LIBERTY PENTECOSTAL CHURCH Corner of Martin Road and Highway #2, Bowmanville Rev. Richard T. Hilsden, Senior Pastor King's Kids presents m ^eitstory eve ft Saturday, December 10th - 7:00 p.m. Sunday, December 11th - 6:30 p.m.