These are some of the practical tips and topics that we spoke about at the meeting:
- Keep informed on your drugs
- Problem Indicators: is your drug use interfering with school, work, relationships, etc.
- Self-care, before and after use
- Some info about nutrition, use of multivitamins to keep healthy
- ‘try some first, then wait for a bit before choosing whether to do any more’; ‘less is more
We can expand and build upon this theme with more tips, thoughts on what it means to take care of yourself and others if using substances.
[copied from the drug wiki]
Safer Partying Tips
list of safer partying tips (responsible partying) for our new postcard
Intro paragraph on what it means to party ‘safer’/more responsibly
- If not a parent, tell someone where you’re going and a rough time of when you’ll be back home
- Make sure to have some money (that you don’t spend at the party) to get you home safe
- Make sure you’ve got money for your own water and you refill the bottle often! Sharing water is a good way to pass on germs and viruses
- Go with a friend! meet up somewhere before the party and head in together! you may want to leave with them, too.
- Keep on eye on your friends- it’s always a good idea to look out for one another and keep each other safe!
- If you and your friends decide to dose, it may be a good idea to choose the same drug to be on so you can all be on the same page (it’s also not a bad idea for one of you to stay sober)
- Meeting new people is always fun and easy to do at parties, but leaving with strangers has its risks. if you decide to go somewhere with people you just met at a party, ask if you can bring a friend. At the very least let someone know who you’re leaving with and where you’re going.
- Wear cool, comfortable clothes and shoes – getting over-heated and having sore feet sucks!
- Control your drugs (dose, substance, own straw, etc)
- Get your drugs beforehand from a reliable dealer and test them out so you know how strong they are before taking too much at the party.
- Find out as much as you can about your drugs before you take them (ask other people who’ve done it, try them before, get them tested if possible, etc.)
- When you get to the venue check out if there’s a trip! table so you can pick up some condoms and other good stuff!
- You may want to find where the medics will be hanging out just in case you need them later
- If you hurt yourself or feel sick, doing more drugs will likely only make the situation worse in the long run. If you think you might need medical attention (even just a bandaid) visit the medic and have him check you out- if you’re high and having fun, you may not notice that something is really wrong until it’s in much worse condition (ex. twisted ankle you keep dancing on all night)
- If you get tired, dizzy or start feeling sick, just take a minute and sit down. Let your friends know where you’re going to be so they can find you if you fall asleep, pass out, K-hole, etc. throughout the night.
- Bring some kind of snack along with you (granola bar, fruit, nuts, etc.) in case you or a friend get hungry and aren’t allowed out of the venue without being able to get back in
- Keep track of your things (purse, money, id, clothes, jacket, etc.) and keep them with you if possible
- If you don’t feel comfortable giving out your personal information to strangers you meet at a party (phone#, e-mail address, etc) you can get a purerave account and use that to keep in touch with your new friends (not trying to advertise for pr, I just know personally I’d MUCH rather give rave-strangers that than my phone# or e-mail)
- bring a sweatshirt or something warm to wear over your rave clothes. Even in the summer, the early mornings can be chilly
- Use your own straw to help avoid Hep C and other nasty things
- Give trip! donations to ensure your safety 😛
Conclusion