The High way code. the guide to safer, more enjoyable drug use. (ketamine)

Transcription

1 The Hgh way code the gude to safer, more enjoyable drug use (ketamne)

2 ntroducng the GDS Hgh Way Code GDS knows pleasure drves drug use, not the avodance of harm. As far as we know no gude has ever outlned the mpact of harm reducton strateges on the pleasure users obtan from drugs... untl now global drug survey Ours s a smple premse: as wth drvng, there are thngs you need to know and rules you should observe n order to get you to your destnaton safely. Beng aware of these makes you much more lkely to get to your planned destnaton n one pece and much less lkely to cause harm to anyone around you. Please share these fndngs, they really are mportant.

3 The hgh way code What s t? The frst gude to safer drug use voted for by people who take drugs. How was t was developed? GDS asked loads of people who take drugs, as well as other experts, what strateges they thought would reduce the rsk of harm when takng some commonly used drugs. As part of GDS2014, we asked people from around the world who had used those drugs n the last year to vote on these strateges. For each strategy we asked: 1. f they usually (.e. more than 50% of the tme) dd t 2. to rate how mportant t s n reducng the rsk of harm (10 beng the max reducton of rsk) 3. to tell us whether usng that strategy ncreased, decreased or had no effect on the pleasure they got from the drug. Who developed t? The guys and gals at Global Drug Survey a nce bunch of smart people who know a bt about drugs and, wth people's help everywhere, wll contnue to learn more and share what they fnd out. Anythng else? Yep follow us lke us on Facebook and check out our free apps the drnks meter ( and the app stores) and the drugs meter ( and google play store) For more nterestng nfo on drugs check out our drugs meter mnutes vdeos on the Global Drug Survey YouTube channel. For suggestons on how to mprove GDS, emal: adam@globaldrugsurvey.com copyrght of Global Drug Survey

4 How to read the Hgh way code Ths number ndcates the percentage of people who told GDS they usually follow the strategy drug name x.x% xx.x% xx.x% xx.x% Users who usually do Ths dal tells you how mportant users thought ths strategy was n reducng the rsk of harm. 00 x.x Reducng rsk from Pleasure mpact rated by users Here you can check how many users thought ths strategy ncreased, decreased or ddn t affect ther pleasure.

5 Know your drug effect, the dose, tme to onset, tme to peak and how long t lasts All drug effects are dose related. Usually the more drugs you take the stronger and longer lastng the effects (and the greater the rsk of harm). Because drug purty and potency vares so much you need to treat every new batch as a new drug. Ths means test dosng each new batch. Knowng how strong your drug s can help you ttrate (adjust/measure) how much you take so hopefully you get the effect you want and avod overdosng. By knowng how long t takes for a drug to come on and how long t lasts, you reduce your rsk of takng too much. People also vary wdely n how they respond to drugs and how much they need to take. Everyone has to fnd ther own rght dose. Not all drugs sut all people so f you get anxous or paranod on a drug don t use t. Remember beng greedy s not good for you. Less s more. Don t ever be worred about callng for an ambulance f you re worred about the state of a mate. GDS does not condone or promote the use of llegal drugs. GDS does promote the use of common sense when gong about one s daly actvtes. Drugs and alcohol can be very dangerous. They can kll you. Usng drugs when you are young can have a lastng negatve mpact on your cogntve and emotonal well-beng. The only way to avod to these harms s not to take drugs. Ths document represents the vews of those who responded to the GDS. Please note: no amount of plannng and care can ensure you wll have ether a safe or enjoyable experence when you take drugs. GDS s smply reportng the results of the survey whch may provde some gudance n reducng the rsk of harm only. The best way to avod drug related harm s to not use drugs.

6 ketamne over 4,500 users Wth 1 n 4 users of K reportng urnary symptoms the most mportant thng GDS has to say s that f you are needng to urnate very frequently, get pan or burnng when you wee, have pan n the lower abdomen or blood n urne stop usng K mmedately and go see your doctor. K can cause rreversble bladder damage. The sooner you stop, the qucker and more lkely your bladder wll recover. Usual dose Tme to onset Tme to peak Duraton of acton mg (snorted) 5 10 mn mn 1 2 hrs

7 mportance n reducng rsk mpact on drug-related pleasure Percentage of users who usually... 63% 38% 29% 62% 82% 32% 36% 40% 59% 30% 35% 67% 14% 85% 55% Avod drvng/cyclng Test dose from new batch Use wth trusted company Keep an eye on frends Avod rsky stuatons (eg.bath) Set lmt on amount used Avod alcohol Wat 4 weeks between sessons Stay well hydrated Plan sesson n advance Avod usng stmulants Buy from same dealer Wegh usng mllgram scales Fnely chop powder Use own straw/tube/note

8 1 avod drvng/cyclng ketamne % 74% 21% 63% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.5 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

9 1 avod drvng /cyclng Avod drvng or cyclng wthn 12 hours (at least) of usng ketamne K, cars and cyclng mght feel lke a vdeo, but t s not. Blurred vson, double vson, pretty lghts, tme and space dstorton you know the score. All the thngs that make K nce make drvng after t rsky and aganst the law.

10 2 test dose from new batch ketamne % 52% 40% 38% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.2 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

11 2 test dose from new batch Test dose a new batch by usng a small amount frst (half of your usual dose of ketamne and watng for at least 30 mnutes before re-dosng Drug purty vares buyers beware! Because llct preparatons vary n potency and precse composton, you are safest checkng each new batch by takng a small test dose and watng at least mnutes (drugs lke methoxetamne take longer to come on). That way you can ttrate (adjust/measure) future doses wth some dea and hopefully get the effect you want and not end your evenng before t has begun or fnd yourself n orbt or K d out unable to speak, move or engage.

12 3 use wth trusted company ketamne % 32% 67% 29% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.2 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

13 3 use wth trusted company Make sure there s a trusted, experenced psychedelc drug user or non-trppng frend about when you use ketamne Your mates can keep you safe. K, lke all psychedelcs, can be unpredctable and can result n ntense occasonally not nce experences. Makng sure there s a trusted experenced psychedelc drug user or non-trppng frend about to keep an eye on you and take care of you should you have an unwanted / unpleasant experence seems sensble.

14 4 keep an eye on frends ketamne % 50% 40% 81% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.1 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

15 4 keep any eye on frends Keep any eye on frends who have also taken ketamne through the course of a sesson You can help your mates stay safe. Common sense and beng a mate don t need an explanaton. Mates wll spot somethng wrong almost before anyone else so f you are worred do as most of you do and look out for mates. Cheap, smple and so very mportant. Don t ever be worred about callng for an ambulance f you re worred about a mate.

16 5 avod rsky stuatons (eg. bath) ketamne % 50% 35% 62% Users who usually do 00 mn 7.9 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

17 5 avod rsky stuatons (eg. bath) Avod takng a bath or placng yourself n otherwse unfamlar or unsafe envronments (rsky stuatons) when you use ketamne Home sweet home. Because ketamne can leave you unable to move or speak, the bggest rsks of usng ketamne are beng vulnerable to others and accdents, especally drownng. Even walkng downstars or along the kerb can be trcky. n fact stayng n your house (or somewhere equally famlar) seems to be the safest place to use K. Less rsk of accdents and your own loo and frdge!

18 6 set lmts on amount used ketamne % 61% 29% 32% Users who usually do 00 mn 7.6 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

19 6 set lmts on amount used Set a lmt for how much you wll use on a day you use ketamne Less s more. Usng drugs too often leads to the development of tolerance wth K ths can occur wthn a sesson. Tolerance = less pleasure and more cost for many people. Research suggests that the more ketamne you use the greater the rsk of bladder damage and memory problems. Settng a lmt for how much you use on a day (we don t how much s safe) mght help keep your use under control and reduce your rsk of developng tolerance and other ketamne related harms.

20 7 avod alcohol ketamne % 47% 49% 36% Users who usually do 00 mn 7.4 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

21 7 avod alcohol Set a lmt for how much you wll use on a day you use ketamne Alcohol ncreases the rsk of bladder problems. Research done by Global Drug Survey showed that people who drank alcohol when they used ketamne were sgnfcantly more lkely to report bladder problems such as pan when passng water, frequency and blood n ther urne. Not drnkng any alcohol when you use ketamne reduces your rsk of bladder (urnary) and gastrontestnal (gut) problems.

22 8 wat 4 weeks between sessons ketamne % 62% 35% 40% Users who usually do 00 mn 7.3 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

23 8 wat 4 weeks between sessons Wat at least 4 weeks between ketamne sessons to reduce the rsk of bladder problems Less s more. Usng drugs too often leads to the development of tolerance wth K ths can occur wthn a sesson. Tolerance = less pleasure and more cost for many people Research suggests that the more ketamne you use and the more often you use t the greater the rsk of bladder damage and memory problems. GDS thnks havng at least 4 weeks between usng sessons mght reduce your rsks of these problems by gvng your body and bran to tme recover.

24 9 stay well hydrated ketamne % 53% 43% 59% Users who usually do 00 mn 7.3 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

25 9 stay well hydrated Make sure that you stay well hydrated by drnkng non-alcoholc drnks when you use ketamne and for two days afterwards Flush your system and bladder. There s growng agreement that ketamne causes damage to the bladder and other parts of the urologcal system (kdneys etc) as t passes out of the body. Whle we are stll learnng more, t seems that drect contact between the lnng of the bladder and a by-product of ketamne can result n shrnkage and scarrng of the bladder. By remanng well hydrated both whle you are usng ketamne and for the two days afterwards you mght reduce the rsks of ths damage occurrng. However, f you notce blood n your urne or you fnd yourself peeng very frequently then back off from usng K and seek help from your GP or a drug agency.

26 10 plan sesson n advance ketamne % 33% 63% 35% Users who usually do 00 mn 6.9 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

27 10 plan sesson n advance Plan your ketamne sesson n advance (that s thnk about where you wll be, what you wll be dong and who you wll be wth) K can be a tcket to many places. To help you arrve safely at your destnaton and get home n one pece, plannng your journey n advance s mportant. Feelng safe and knowng where you are and who you are wth can help reduce the rsk of havng a bad tme and f you do you wll be n the best place to be taken care of.

28 11 avod usng stmulants ketamne % 56% 34% 30% Users who usually do 00 mn 6.9 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

29 11 avod usng stmulants Avod takng stmulant drugs (cocane/amphetamne/caffene) when you use ketamne K doesn t need the stress. K already has stmulant effects and an ncrease n heart rate, palptatons and chest pan. Takng other stmulant drugs can result n over stressng your system and can ncrease the rsk of anxety and agtaton as well.

30 12 buy from same dealer ketamne % 62% 37% 67% Users who usually do 00 mn 6.6 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

31 12 buy from same dealer Buy your ketamne from the same suppler or network of supplers Buyer beware. Common sense someone you know s probably less lkely to rp you off and may be more nterested n your welfare than a random person you meet n a club. t s no guarantee but people seem to thnk t s very mportant to buy your ketamne from the same dealer or network of supplers.

32 13 wegh usng mllgram scales ketamne % 60% 36% 14% Users who usually do 00 mn 6.4 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

33 13 wegh usng mllgram scales Wegh up your ketamne usng mllgram scales Careful dosng s vtal. Ketamne s effect are strongly dose related. Weghng up your ketamne doses mght ncrease your ablty to accurately dose yourself and reduce your rsk of overdosng. Ketamne has a very dfferent effect at dfferent levels of dosng whether small bumps, small lnes or bgger doses.

34 14 fnely chop powder ketamne % 32% 66% 85% Users who usually do 00 mn 6.0 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

35 14 fnely chop powder Grnd up/chop up your powder very fnely when you use ketamne Fner powder goes further (maybe). Grndng up/choppng up your ketamne very fnely can allow better connecton wth the nasal lnng, better dose management, easer snortng acton as well as reduce waste, nasal damage and mght make your drugs last longer. Many people seem to thnk ths s an mportant strategy.

36 15 use own straw/tube/note ketamne % 71% 26% 55% Users who usually do 00 mn 6.0 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on ketamne-related pleasure

37 15 use own straw/tube/note Use your own straw/tube/bll/note when snortng ketamne You share more than snot! Snortng crystallne whte powders can damage the lnng of your nose. Sometmes that leads to nose bleeds. Sharng straws wth others runs the rsk of transmttng blood borne vruses lke hepatts C. So use your own straw. Avod exposure to vruses.