A new guide by the P.E.I.'s liquor commission emphasizes responsible drinking, and says party hosts have a moral obligation despite a court ruling letting them off the hook if someone drinks and drives.

The 24-page guide, released in time for the holidays, gives tips on planning a party, recipes and bar-stocking ideas. It also includes sobering information on a person's liability as a host, and dispels myths about alcohol consumption.

The guide notes a recent Supreme Court of Canada decision that social hosts don't have the same burden of responsibility that bars and restaurants do in ensuring guests do not leave intoxicated.

"A social host at a party where alcohol is served is not under a duty of care to members of the public who may be injured by a guest's actions, unless the host's conduct implicates him or her in the creation or exacerbation of the risk," the top court ruled. 

"Short of active implication, a host is entitled to respect the autonomy of a guest."

However, the PEI Liquor Control Commission's booklet says, the Supreme Court ruling does not provide a carte blanche.