For those who don’t celebrate St. Patrick’s Day for its purpose as a celebration of Irish culture and instead consider it an opportunity to drink past sobriety, this editorial is for you. Telling those who would already plan to drink not to drink would be rather pointless, but we’ll take a shot at giving you some tips about proper drunk etiquette.

Don’t shame people who don’t want to drink.

Not everyone likes or wants to drink — and that’s fine. Just like you made your own life decision to drink, don’t shame others for not wanting to drink. 

Know the basics of when flirting is and isn’t OK. 

If they’re already taken, back off. If they act like they aren’t interested or if they flat out tell you they aren’t interested, back off. If they do act interested, but then decide they aren’t interested, back off. Act natural and don’t make a fool of yourself in front of them. 

Don’t tick off the bartender.

It’s perfectly possible to have a fun time without ticking off the bartender or server. Practice basic rules of human decency and you should be fine.

Stay off your phone. 

The best way to not drunk text your ex, post a stupid snap on your Snapchat story, tweet something you wouldn’t want an employer to see or make an outrageous comment on your friend’s Instagram is to simply not be on your phone. Keep it safely stowed away in your pocket or purse. 

Safety first.

If you plan to drink, then you need to plan for safety. That means having a plan with whomever you are going out with so that you have each others’ backs. Plan for a sober driver, whether that means designating someone from your friend group or planning to pay for a ride. Think it’s not that serious? In 2014, nearly 10,000 people in the U.S. were killed in alcohol-related car accidents, which is about one third of all traffic deaths, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Beyond that, don’t overdo it. If you’re choosing to drink, don’t go to the point where you’re at risk for alcohol poisoning or blacking out. A little fun isn’t worth getting a public intoxication or worse putting your personal safety at risk.