Using food-safe scissors

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73% of 18- to 24-yearolds plan on celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

Number of people who claimed Irish ancestry in 2018: United States: 32 million (approximately 1 in 10 Americans) Indiana: 728,310 Delaware County: 13,682

13 million pints of Guinness expected to be consumed on St. Patrick’s Day

How 18- to 24-year-olds will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

90%

UPD chief shares St. Patrick’s Day safety tips

33% 27% 22% 21% 19% 16%

Wear green Attend a party at a bar/restaurant Decorate home or office Attend a private party Make a special dinner Attend a parade Host a party Source: National Retail Federation, Nielsen, U.S. Census Bureau, WalletHub FREEPIK, COURTESY; ELLIOTT DEROSE, DN

Before you break out the only green you have in your closet and sharpen your nails to punish those who don’t, consider these safety tips from University Police (UPD) Chief Jim Duckham. Act responsibly

According to WalletHub, this day of wearing green is the most-popular holiday for beer drinking, and each person celebrating consumes an average of 4.2 drinks.

With an estimated 57 percent of Americans planning to celebrate the holiday, Duckham said UPD is preparing for it like any other weekend, football tailgate or larger event.

“St. Paddy’s Day tends to be a holiday or a gathering where people tend to drink more,” he said. “We just ask that you be responsible. That’s really the

key to everything we talk about … Clearly, if you’re not 21, you can’t legally drink, but if you’re underage, and you do, we want you people to be safe.” Take care of each other

Now in his sixth year at Ball State, Duckham said St. Patrick’s Day has been a fairly quiet holiday in terms of emergencies. However, he still stressed the importance of looking out for your friends.

“If one of your friends is starting to get a little overserved, maybe tell them, ‘Hey, you’re being overserved,’ or intervene,” he said. “Be a good friend. Be a good bystander.”

If you do drink, he said, it is also important to have a designated driver or arrange a ride to pick you up.

“Certainly, if people need medical attention, and certainly assistance, we want people to call,” Duckham said. “Call us so that we can take care of that and render the aid to people.” Be a good neighbor

Going along with the last tip, Duckham said if you aren’t drinking or aren’t at a gathering with people who are, “if you see something, say something.”

Duckham added, for those attending late-night parties, to be mindful of residents around them.

“We just want people to be really responsible and to be considerate neighbors too,” Duckham said. “Community members live in these neighborhoods too, and, you know, they have to go to work the next day. They’re not at a party until 2 in the morning.” -Staff Reports