A responsible policy for handling a patron's tab and drink pacing might include:

A responsible policy for handling drink pacing might include spacing out service, offering water and food alongside alcohol, and keeping track of a patron's total consumption over their visit, so staff can recognize when someone is approaching intoxication. This contrasts with practices that encourage rapid drinking, such as pushing doubles or serving as fast as possible. Thoughtful pacing helps prevent over-intoxication before it happens, making refusals less often necessary. Managers can build such pacing practices into house policy and train staff to apply them as part of routine responsible service.