Are you ready for some football?: Tips for a safe season

Key Takeaways:

• Alcohol consumption is a common factor for emergency department visits during football season.
• The key to safe alcohol consumption is moderation combined with water and electrolytes for hydration.
• Be sure to properly handle, cook, and store food at tailgates.
• Dress for the season and apply sunscreen.
• Stay home if you’re sick.

Football season is here, bringing fans across the country into high school, college, and professional stadiums to cheer on their favorite teams.

The last place any rabid fan wants to end up before, during, or after a game is their local emergency department (ED), so here are some tips on how to stay safe this season.

What are the most common reasons people go to the ED during football season?

We want people to be safe, and what we see in our emergency departments is primarily alcohol related, whether it’s over consumption of alcohol, orthopedic injuries from falls or trips because of alcohol, or unfortunately alcohol-related car accidents. 

Speaking of that, how can I safely enjoy alcoholic beverages and still enjoy myself?

Enjoying yourself at a tailgate and enjoying the game with alcohol is all about moderation. Again, we’re going to be out there for a while. We start to tailgate here in Morgantown early in the morning, often a few hours before the game. So just remember, if you are and choose to consume alcohol, make sure that you consume water or electrolytes or other things in between the alcohol.

Also, remember that it’s a long day. You’re going to be out there often for seven or eight hours, including your tailgating and the game. We all want to remember the game. We always want to cheer on the Mountaineers and sing “Country Roads.” It’s all in moderation and all in alternating your alcoholic beverage that you choose to consume with electrolytes and water.

If you’ve had a little bit too much to drink, please either stay where you are or find a designated driver because we want everybody to come back next week and cheer again.

At my tailgate, we like to cook for our family members and friends. How do I safely handle food, so we don’t end up in the ED with a bad case of salmonella, food poisoning, or another food-borne illness?

I think the biggest issue is that if you cook your food the night before, be it a macaroni salad or something else that requires ice, ensure it stays in an appropriate environment. 

Once you get to your tailgate, make sure your meat, your hot dogs, and other things are cooked fully and consume them before you go into the game.

If you’re coming out after the game and you’re trying to wait out traffic, I would advise if you had food that was leftover before the game, then you dispose of that.

If you have new things you can cook while you wait, that’s the best thing. We often see people that come out after the game, and they’ll get the macaroni salad back out, or they’ll get the breakfast food back out that’s perhaps been sitting in the heat for a while. That causes some problems later in the evening or the next day.

Do I need to be mindful of any other tailgating-related health hazards?

One of the things we always want people to be careful of, especially as the temperatures get cooler, is carbon monoxide poisoning. A lot of people have pretty elaborate setups for their tailgating experience, and a lot of those involve gas generators. Please, if you’re going to use generators in your tailgate, make sure they are away from people and in an open-air area.

If you’re running your vehicle alongside another 5,000 people running their vehicle and their generators in the lot, you could be at risk for developing some carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s not something we see often, but it’s something to be thoughtful of as tailgates become more elaborate, and as we spend more time out in the elements.

There are big weather swings during football season in this part of the country – from hot, sunny games at the start of the season to cold snowy and rainy games at the end. How should I dress for the seasons?

Preparation is key. Early in the season, the most important thing you can do is put on your sunscreen. Everybody is at risk of getting sunburned regardless of what your tailgating activities include, so put that sunscreen on before you leave the house.

Reapply sunscreen before you go into the game, especially if you’re tailgating for a long time.

That’s really the biggest issue in the summer and early fall months, along with dehydration. Again, make sure that you consume nonalcoholic hydration of your choice to ensure you don’t get dehydrated during the day. 

As the weather shifts through the fall and into the winter, again, I tell people to wear sunscreen. Some of the most intense sun can be on that beautiful October day, when the sun is out and it’s 65 degrees and crisp here in Morgantown, so make sure you continue to wear sunscreen. 

As the weather turns in late October and early November, make sure you’re dressed in layers. If it’s going to be a game where we’re expecting rain, try to make sure your outer layer is waterproof or water resistant, so that those fabrics that are closer to your body stay dry.

They’re going to keep you warmer, and you’re going to enjoy the game a lot more. Wear boots and socks in the wintertime, wear sunscreen in the summertime, and you’ll be able to enjoy the Mountaineers win.

Is it safe to attend a football game if you’re sick?

If you’re not feeling well, I think you have to consider whether you would go to work if you felt this bad. If you wouldn’t, I probably wouldn’t go to the football game. If you wouldn’t go to your children’s event at school or church or any other social outing, I probably wouldn’t go to the football game.

Many people come from out of town and being in the car for an hour or more takes a toll on your body. Then you’re out in the elements for a few hours during game. If you’re not feeling well, if your body is not up to par, stay at home, get your favorite recovery beverage, and cheer the Mountaineers on from home.

We’re here if you need us

We want everybody to have a good time and cheer on the home team. We really hope we don’t see you, but we’re always available if you need us. There’s nothing like a trip to the ED to ruin a game day.

Most importantly: please, please, please, make sure you know what’s in any alcohol you consume, you know how much is in it, and you do so in moderation. No amount of a good time is worth your life.