The winter holidays are a time for traditions togetherness, good cheer and food. They can also be a time for cheer in the form of drink.

Alcohol can be the double-edged sword of the holidays. For some, a hot buttered rum by the fire, shared with friends or family, can enhance seasonal celebrations. But the holidays also see a moderate increase in alcohol-related offenses.

“What we see in the city limits of Bonney Lake is pretty consistent year round in terms of alcohol-related domestic violence and DUI cases, but we do see an uptick this time of year,” Officer Daron Wolschleger of the Bonney Lake Police Department said. “I would call it a moderate uptick, a slightly noticeable increase in the numbers seen year round.”

In Pierce County at large, it’s the summer month of August, and not the winter, that is considered DUI season, Gloria Mansfield Averill of the county DUI task force said. However, the county schedules a series of DUI emphases from Thanksgiving to Jan. 1 as part of the “Drive Hammered, Get Nailed” campaign operated by the Target Zero program, of which Bonney Lake is a part.

The holidays can also be a trigger for people who have, or worry that they might have, a pattern of abuse or dependence on alcohol.

“The holidays can be a huge trigger for a person struggling with addiction, especially if drinking is a part of that person’s family tradition,” said Rob Long, a state-certified addiction counselor and the owner of New Freedom Recovery Center in Bonney Lake. New Freedom specializes in outpatient care for people seeking addiction treatment.

Because of the general increase in drinking during the holidays, its a fine line to determine who has a problem and who is merely celebrating.

The key factor, and something that ultimately has to be determined by the drinker’s own judgment, Long said, is whether that person’s motivation to drink is to change the way they think, feel or act.

For the celebrator who has decided he or she has a problem, Long provided a number of tips for successfully staying sober during the holidays:

1 Establish a new tradition.

One of the most basic triggers for a recovering addict is to fall into the same patterns he or she fell into while still drinking, Long said. If past holidays always involved drinking, a new tradition has to take its place.

“Get your family and friends together to play video games, or karaoke,” Long said. “You don’t want to be glum, down in the dumps or depressed because you feel like you can’t have any fun anymore.”

2 Change your family role.

Like a play, family members often fulfill character roles that become expected of them at gatherings. By actively working to change your perceived role in your family, you can change the way they treat you, Long said.

3 Always have a non-alcoholic drink in hand at parties.

People may feel pressured to drink by family or friends who ask them to do so at parties. The simplest way to prevent someone from asking if you want a drink, Long said, is to keep a non-alcoholic drink in hand at all times.

“That way, you can honestly say you already have a drink,” he said.

Long added that by adding vitamin supplements to water, it can take on the appearance of an alcoholic drink, making other partygoers none-the-wiser.

4 Bring a sober buddy.

Bringing a sober guest to a party can help keep you on track and provide support if you’re worried that you’re falling into old habits, Long said. It also ensures you have someone to talk to who won’t pressure you into drinking.

5 Have an exit strategy.

If the traditional family party proves too much, always keep an excuse to leave at the ready. Keep a phone list of sober friends and acquaintances so that you have someplace else to go.

Long recommended checking out an Alcathon, a 24-hour sober support meeting at Meeker Fellowship in Puyallup or the Alano Club in Auburn. Appleinis II in Puyallup hosts holiday celebrations and has a “bar atmosphere without the bar,” Long said. Narcotics Anonymous meetings often host dances.

“The gift of recovery is the best gift if you have a problem,” Long said. “I think the stigma for some people is that they worry recovery will make them boring. And you don’t have to be.”