Safer partying

If you’re thinking about taking drugs at a party, festival or gig, here’s some tips to help you stay safer. 

Get your drugs checked

Drug checking is a free, legal and confidential service that helps you find out what’s really in your drugs. Your drugs could be something completely different to what they're sold as, or be mixed in with other things. 

Many festivals have drug checking at the event. There are also public clinics running throughout the year across the country. See our calendar to find upcoming drug checking clinics near you.

If you can't make it to a drug checking clinic, you can use reagent tests to check your drugs at home. Reagent tests are less reliable, but they are a good alternative when drug checking is not available.

Read our article about how to use reagent tests for MDMA. And this one for LSD. These are sold at Cosmic and The Hempstore. 

You can also order test strips for free that will test positive if your drug contains fentanyl or nitazenes. 

Stay in the know

Know what to expect from the drug you’re planning to take.  

Check out our drug info pages for info on effects, common doses people take, and how you can be safer.

Follow High Alert to stay up to date with dangerous drugs that are circulating. 

Start low and go slow

This is especially important if it’s your first time with the drug. If you start with a small amount, you can always take more later but can’t go back in time and take less. Weighing and measuring how much you want to take can help make sure you don’t accidentally take too much. You can learn more about common doses for different drugs on our drug info pages.

In general, it’s good to wait about an hour for the effects to kick in before deciding if you want to take more. 

Have a plan

Here’s some things you can reflect on before you party:

• How much do you want to use and how often? What is a standard dose of the drug you are planning to take?
• Will there be people around who can help support you if something goes wrong? 
• How will you get home safely at the end of the night?
• If you’re at a festival, where are the medics/safe spaces that you can use if someone needs help? 

Take care if you’re mixing drugs

Taking multiple drugs at the same time, including alcohol and medications, can increase the risk of having unpleasant experiences. It can also be unpredictable and dangerous. If you are choosing to mix drugs, be aware of how different combinations can affect you, and take less of each drug if possible. 

Remember to eat, drink and sleep

When we’re out partying, it can be easy to forget about the basics. Eating a meal, drinking plenty of water, using sunblock and shade, and trying to get as much sleep as possible can help with your recovery after. 

Look out for each other

Talk to each other about any changes to plans and let each other know what you’ve taken.

It can help to have a sober person in your group that can keep an eye on everyone. Check in with each other regularly and make sure everyone is okay.  

Most events will have medic tents, and some will have chillout spaces if you need help. It's best to tell them what you’ve taken so they can give you the best support possible. You won’t get in trouble for using drugs.

If you’re on your own and things start to go downhill, call someone you trust, head to a safe space, or ask a security guard or event staff to help you. 

Know how to respond to overdose

Getting help for someone who is overdosing can save their life. Call 111 or get a medic if you spot someone with these signs:

See our overdose section for more info. 

Take breaks and recover

The comedown can hit hard the next day. Make sure to look after yourself, stay hydrated, eat food and get some sleep.

It can be useful to have a think about how things went and if you want to do anything differently next time. Taking a break before partying again can also give your body and brain time to recover!