This Is the One Thing You Shouldn’t Do at a Barbecue, According to a Doctor

Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, is quoted in stories advising people attending cookouts this summer not to drink too much alcohol. “We’ve done it three times, once at our house, and twice at other people’s houses — always outdoors, always masks whenever possible, always maximal separation,” he says. “But as the evening progressed, people were creeping closer together and their inhibitions were breaking down. You really have to be on guard and alcohol leads to forgetting about following the rules.”