BLOOMINGTON - If you party hard today, make sure to party safe. The warning is important because Super Bowl Sunday has become something more than a football game - a lot more.

It's arguably the biggest party of the year, which means people are drinking; the long pregame hype leading to this year's matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts only lengthens the time to imbibe, say experts.

To lessen the hazards of drinking, and then driving, health and safety advocates have some advice. The most important suggestion is to have a designated driver. Another is to drink in moderation.

"It can take an hour to metabolize each drink," said Ruth Ann Lipic, a victim's advocate with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

She suggested party hosts make sure they have plenty of food and shut the liquor off before the game is over. "Not everyone wants to drink. Have plenty of soft drinks available," she said.

Food is also on the tips list of Kerri Calvert, health promotion coordinator at Illinois State University's student health services. "We advise eat before and while drinking," Calvert said.

Though she knows people will drink, the Super Bowl should not be an excuse to get drunk, Calvert said. "The point is to have fun watching the game," she said.

That was seconded by Ken Kennedy, a coordinator at Bloomington's Chestnut Health Systems, a drug and alcohol treatment center. Super Bowl Sunday, Kennedy said, seems to encourage "extreme drinking."

Drinkers should pace themselves, he said.

Eating greasy foods, like pizza, while drinking can be helpful, he said.

Drinkers should also be aware of the size of their cups, Kennedy said, explaining that a large mug might be the equivalent of two bottles of beer.

Kennedy also warned against drinking games popular at halftime and during timeouts.

While Kennedy intends to watch the game and root for the Bears, he'll be worrying about the rest of us.

Over-indulging can lead not only to drunken driving, but also increased violence, including sexual assault, he said.

And, while Lipic also wants the Bears to win, something else is even more important to her:She wants everybody to be safe.

"Be the real winners and get yourself and friends home safe," she said.