Safer Drug Use By and large there is no safe way to take drugs, in that there is always an element of risk involved, not that it ever stopped anyone. However, if you are going to use drugs, here are some things to think about . . . . Expand We feel we should point out that Build on Belief does not, in anyway advocate for the use of drugs, whether legal or illegal. We are a charity with a strong harm minimisation focus, and the best form of harm minimisation is not to do something in the first place! Having said that, we are almost exclusively staffed by a team with several hundred years of lived experience of addiction, and not only are we not in a position to preach, we recognise that 'doing the sensible thing' is hardly a universal human trait. Therefore, if you are going to use drugs, here are a few things to think about . . . . The purity of drugs change all the time. If it's a new batch or from a different dealer, test the strength first. Don't ever use drugs alone. Try and buy your drugs from a trusted source. When in doubt, use small amounts. You can always take more, but you can never take less. If you think a substance hasn't worked, wait at least an hour, or better yet two, before taking anymore. Drugs can take longer to take effect than you think, and people have overdosed by being too hasty. Where at all possible, don't inject. Many drugs can be smoked, snorted or eaten, and the potential health risks are lower using these routes of administration. If you're going to use drugs, be certain you can trust the people you are using with. Intoxication can make you vulnerable to abuse or exploitation. Be sensible, and don't take unnecessary risks. If trying a substance that you have never used before, make sure the person you are with knows what you have taken, and if possible has some experience of using that substance. A drug doesn't always make you feel the way you think it will (LSD being a famous example) and if you don't like it, you'll need some support. Make an effort to understand the risks associated with the use of a specific substance. For example, it is important if you are taking ecstasy and dancing at a rave, that you hydrate with reasonable amounts of water on a regular basis. We know you have internet access because you are reading this, so do a little research! Why not start with www.talktofrank.com? There are wider risks to substance use, and understanding them can help you make an informed decision. If, for example, you are an overweight and middle-aged man with heart problems, then hoovering up lines of cocaine is likely to be risky! Don't mix substances. The potential for thinks to go wrong increase greatly when you mix and match. Make sure you eat properly beforehand, especially if you're planning a heavy night out. You're body needs all the help it can get! Make sure you get some proper sleep, and don't try to stay up for two or three nights at a time. Sleep deprivation can seriously impair you judgement, and lead you into making decisions you might well regret later. If you're not feeling well, don't use. The human body isn't designed for drug use, and if you're not feeling up to scratch, the risk of unintended consequences increases. If you are not using at home, before starting, make sure you know how you are going to get back, and don't drive!
Safer injecting Advice Injecting drugs in an inherently dangerous practice, no argument. If your're going to do it however, there are some simple steps you can take to minimise the risk . . . . Expand We feel obliged to point out that there is no safe way to inject drugs, and we would therefore suggest that you don't. Having been around that block a few times ourselves, we are realistic enough to understand that if you are going to do it then you're going to do it. With that in mind, here are some simple tips to make a dangerous practice as safe as is possible . . . . Never inject alone. If you overdose, or suffer a related health problem (like a heart attack) it could cost you your life. If you are injecting opiates, make sure you have naloxone to hand. It can save you life in the event of an overdose, and you should be able to obtain it for free from your local treatment provider. If you have had a period of abstinence or have just been released from prison, and are going to inject drugs, be cautious and start with a very small amount. Tolerance to drugs drops very quickly. Going for the big one straight out of the blocks can kill you. Use you local needle exchange or chemist to get new and sterile injecting equipment. Don't rely on previously used needles and syringes because it's quicker. Never share any equipment. We don't just mean syringes and needles, we also mean spoons, torniquets and filters. Everything in fact. The purity of drugs changes all the time. If it's a new batch or from a different dealer, test its strength first. If you are injecting regularly, then rotate your injecting sites. Frequently injecting in the same place can damage the veins permanently, and increases the chance of getting abcesses and ulcers. If you can't get a vein in your arm, think about taking the drug in a different way. There are very few drugs that don't have more than one route of administration. Injecting in the legs, groin, neck or other parts of the body greatly increase the chance of developing serious, and often irreversible health problems, deep vein thrombosis being an example. If you miss the vein the first time, or hit the bottom of the spoon with the needle while preparing a hit, change the needle. Use sterile water to prepare a hit, or failing that, tap water. Do not use bottled water or anything else. If using acidifiers to break down a drug, heroin for example, only use citric acid or vitamin C powder. Do not use lemon juice, or any other acidic substance. If you cannot obtain filters from you local needle exchange, the best alternative is the filters sold for use with rolling tobacco. Do not chop the end from a tailor made cigarette or use substances such as cotton wool. Do not crush tablets for injecting. There is no way to filter all of the particulate matter prior to injection, and it is extremely dangerous. Don't front-load if you are sharing a hit. It's an easy way to pass on blood borne viruses. Use as wide a torniquet as possible, and don't pull it too tight. Perversely, it makes the veins harder to find. Always release a torniquet before injecting a drug. Don't inject more than one drug at a time. It greatly increases the chance of overdose, or other unexpected health problems.
Safer Alcohol Use Although legal to use, alcohol can be extremely dangerous if drunk to excess, and lead to a host of health problems, some of which are very serious potentially life threatening. Expand SAFE DRINKING GUIDELINES The current recommended safe guidelines for drinking alcohol are 14 units per week, irrespective of whether you are a man or a woman. That isn't very much. In fact it comes down to . . . . . Around a bottle and a half of wine Six pints of ordinary strength beer or lager Fourteen single (25ml) shots of spirits HOW CAN I TELL HOW MUCH I DRINK PER WEEK? Use the following guidelines to count. There is a complicated formula you can use if you know the volume of alcohol in whatever you are drinking, but the easiest way is as follows . . . . . A bottle of wine is 10 units of alcohol A pint of normal strength beer or lager is 2.5 units of alcohol A bottle of spirits is 28 units of alcohol If you are not sure how much you are drinking, keep a note of your daily intake for a few weeks, calculating it as described above. Just jot it down on a piece of paper somewhere. If you find you are drinking a significant amount above the guidelines, you might want to think of cutting down a little. HOW DO I CUT DOWN ON MY ALCOHOL USE? Firstly, it is important to have a few days a week where you don't drink at all. This gives your liver a rest and helps you to stay healthy. If you drink wine, beer or lager, next time you are at the shop pick one with a lower alcohol content. If you like to go out on a Friday or Saturday night, why not have a soft drink between the alcoholic ones? Space it out, and remember, you don't have to get falling down drunk. Tipsy will do! If you like to have a drink when you get home from work, why not have it an hour or two later and cut down on the amount of drinking time you have. Better yet, have a drink with, or after food, rather than beforehand. If you're going out on a regular basis with friends, why not try mocktails? They are very common these days, and most places serve them. HOW CAN I TELL IF A HAVE A PROBLEM? Well it's different strokes for different folks. If you've been counting your units and find that as a woman you regularly drink more than 20 units a week, or as a man you regularly drink over 30 units a week, then we would strongly advise that you think about cutting down. It's also worth bearing in mind that all addiction is psychological before it is physical (assuming that's possible since not all substances are physically addictive) and there's a simple way to test whether or not you are developing a psychological dependency. Try not to drink for two weeks. Not a drop. If you find it takes a real effort of will, then you might want to start thinking about your drinking habits. If you are regularly drinking above the limits mentioned above, especially way above, we don't want to be rude but you have a problem. If you can't get it under control by yourself then you need to think about getting some professional help. I KNOW I DRINK A LITTLE TOO MUCH, BUT I'M NOT AN ALCOHOLIC, SO WHERE'S THE HARM? To begin with, it's rare that people start out with a problem. It tends to creep up on you. Very often an unfortunate turn of events like losing a job, a bereavement and so on, can tip people from walking a thin line into having a serious problem. Unless you can read the future, that's worth thinking about. Secondly, although legal and socially acceptable, alcohol is a very dangerous substance when used to excess. There is a long list of serious illnesses that can be the result of heavy drinking. These include heart disease, high blood pressure, blackouts and memory loss, brain damage, liver disease, pancreatitis, stomach problems and a greatly increased risk of certain types of cancer. Trust us when we tell you this is not a full list by any means. It's worth bearing in mind that many of these are life changing if not life threatening. Thirdly, it's also worth remembering that some of these health problems, liver disease being an example, showing very few symptoms until they are already serious, by which time it can be too late to reverse the damage. WHAT DO I DO NOW, IF I'M WORRIED ABOUT MY ALCOHOL USE? Well you can always have a look on 'Where to Find Us', pop into your nearest Build on Belief project and have a chat with the member of staff on duty. They will be happy to give you some advice and help you decide what to do next. Another option would be to google 'alcohol treatment service' followed by the name of the borough you live in. This will give you contacts for your nearest professional treatment service. It's worth remembering, they can provide a wide range of advice, information and support. Whether you pop in for a chat with us, or visit your local treatment provider, remember confidentiality is at the centre of everything the treatment system does.