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

Transcription

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

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 stmulants (cocane, amphetamne and mephedrone) over 17,000 users GDS know these drugs are dfferent but the basc rsks and prncples of safer use are the same. The Hghway Code also assumes that people know that both njectng and smokng stmulant drugs are assocated wth greater rsk of harm related to the more ntense effects of the drug and the complcatons assocated wth the route of use. Snortng and oral use can mnmze these rsks, lead to a longer (albet less ntense) effect and can make your drugs last longer. See our drugs meter mnute on cocane and fnd out why t s been voted the worst value drug n the world two years runnng (GDS2013 and GDS2014):

7 cocane & mephedrone Usual dose Tme to onset Tme to peak Duraton of acton mg (taken by snortng) 5 15 mn mn 1 3 hrs amphetamne Doses, duraton of the effect, tme to onset and tme to peak vary very wdely dependng on the type, purty and route of admnstraton. Crystal meth lasts much longer than dexamphetamne. njectng and smokng have qucker onsets of acton wth more ntense hghs. Remember to always test a small dose.

8 Stmulants mportance n reducng rsk mpact on drug-related pleasure Percentage of users who usually... 66% 36% 37% 50% 75% 55% 46% 35% 60% 19% 90% 51% 87% Stay well hydrated Set lmt on how much used Test dose from new batch Avod when depressed/anxous Regular sleep after use Eat properly Take a break from physcal actvty Avod other stmulants Drnk less than 6 alcohol unts Clean nose after use Use for less than 2 days n a row Use own straw/tube/note Fnely chop powder

9 1 Stay well hydrated % 46% 49% 02 stmulants 08 66% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.4 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on stmulants-related pleasure

10 1 stay well hydrated Stay well watered f you dehydrate, your body loses the ablty to sweat. f you can t sweat you lose one of the major ways to reduce your body s temperature. Together wth takng a break from physcal exerton and coolng off, drnkng non-alcoholc/non energy drnks, ths s one of the most mportant ways of reducng the predctable and avodable serous rsk of dehydratng and collapsng. Alcohol s a bad rehydraton flud because t s a duretc (makes you pee). Drnk lots of non-alcoholc fluds and be cool.

11 2 Set lmt on amount used % 55% 31% 02 stmulants 08 36% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.3 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on stmulants-related pleasure

12 2 set lmt on amount used Common sense Not usng too much too often wll avod the development of tolerance and wll gve your bran a chance to recover between sessons so you can enjoy your drugs when you use them. Hgher doses tend to cause more unwanted effects and the comedown s worse. t also costs more. Less s more, as they say.

13 3 test dose from new batch % 51% 37% 02 stmulants 08 37% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.2 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on stmulants-related pleasure

14 3 test dose from new batch Drug purty vares 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 before re-dosng. Knowng how strong your drug s can help you ttrate (adjust/measure) your doses so you hopefully get the effect you want and mnmse the rsks of harm.

15 4 avod when depressed/anxous % 45% 49% 02 stmulants 08 50% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.2 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on stmulants-related pleasure

16 4 avod when depressed/anxous Set and settng old school drug law Stmulant drugs wll tend to worsen whatever state you are n when you take t. Depresson s thought to be due to low levels of certan chemcal transmtters n your bran. Takng a stmulant drug lke crystal meth or cocane that emptes your bran cell of more chemcal transmtters lke serotonn and dopamne, wll only make you more depressed. f you are on antdepressants, best avod any stmulants drugs at all. Not only wll the stmulant drugs work aganst the effects of the medcaton, your comedowns wll be far worse.

17 5 regular sleep after use % 55% 40% 02 stmulants 08 75% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.0 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on stmulants-related pleasure

18 5 regular sleep after use Sleep rests your bran Sleep lets your bran catch up and process all the stuff that has been gong on. Sleep gves your bran and body tme to recover. Several days of not sleepng worsen your comedown and ncrease the rsk of accdents at work, beng unable to concentrate when you need to and delay your recovery to feelng back to you agan.

19 6 eat properly % 54% 38% 02 stmulants 08 55% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.0 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on stmulants-related pleasure

20 6 eat properly f you don t eat your drugs won t work (as well) Food reflls your body wth the buldng blocks t needs to make the chemcal transmtters your stmulant sesson has just empted. Bananas, chocolate, kw frut, nuts, honey, marmte, turkey, multvtamns, mlk or juce are all good recovery foods.

21 7 take a break from physcal actvty % 52% 42% 02 stmulants 08 46% Users who usually do 00 mn 7.6 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on stmulants-related pleasure

22 7 take a break from physcal actvty Chll out One of the most avodable rsks from stmulant drugs s overheatng and dehydraton. Stmulant drugs rase your pulse, blood pressure and body temperature. Combned wth ncreased levels of physcal exerton, such as dancng, ths can lead to dangerous ncreases n your body temperature, especally n hot envronments. Nght clubs can be hot places and dance floors often have the worst ventlaton. Takng a break from dancng and gettng off the dance floor for 10 mnutes every hour or 2 can help you avod overheatng.

23 8 avod other stmulants % 60% 32% 02 stmulants 08 35% Users who usually do 00 mn 7.4 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on stmulants-related pleasure

24 8 avod other stmulants Not enough bran juce to go round All stmulant drugs work the same way. They all cause the release of chemcal transmtters such as dopamne and serotonn. Snce they are pullng from the same source usng more than one wll lead to more rapd depleton. Combned use also seems to lead to ncreased rsk of unwanted stmulant effects such as palptatons, panc and aggresson. Oddly many users say cocane reduces the buzz from MDMA whch s probably why most users avod cocane wth MDMA.

25 9 drnk less than 6 alcohol unts % 54% 36% 02 stmulants 08 60% Users who usually do 00 mn 7.1 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on stmulants-related pleasure

26 9 drnk less than 6 alcohol unts Alcohol dehydrates you Alcohol dehydrates you and ncreases your rsk of overheatng, heart problems, memory loss and volence. Stmulant drugs tend to offset some of the desrable effects of alcohol, so you re knd of wastng your money f you drnk loads. Drnkng lots of alcohol when you have used a stmulant drugs tends to ncrease your consumpton of both substances so the nght s more expensve. And mxng cocane wth alcohol creates somethng called cocaethylene whch s partcularly bad for your heart.

27 10 clean nose after use % 56% 39% 02 stmulants 08 19% Users who usually do 00 mn 7.0 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on stmulants-related pleasure

28 10 clean nose after use Look after your nose Nasal douches have been used for centures n countres lke nda. Usng dlute salt water or sodum bcarbonate, they are thought to help keep your nasal passages clear. Douches are advsed before and after a sesson. Alternatng nostrl mght be useful as well. Don t use douches f you have snusts because they can spread nfecton. A bt of Vaselne or Vtamn E ol on your nose after a sesson can keep t lookng nce and nosey.

29 11 use for less than 2 days n a row % 58% 36% 02 stmulants 08 90% Users who usually do 00 mn 6.8 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on stmulants-related pleasure

30 11 use for less than 2 days n a row A weekend s just 2 days long People can buld up tolerance to the effects of stmulant drugs very quckly. After more than a day or 2 you ve probably empted your bran of most of the neurotransmtters you need to get a good hgh. Contnung to use just leads to less of a buzz and more unwanted effects. Gong more than a nght wthout sleep wll also delay your recovery. Havng enough control to lmt your use also means that the workng week stays protected (though comedowns can ntrude of course).

31 12 use own straw/tube/note % 76% 21% 02 stmulants 08 51% Users who usually do 00 mn 6.4 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on stmulants-related pleasure

32 12 use own straw/ tube/note You mght 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 and avod exposure to vruses. Avod bank notes because they are drty, can transmt other nfectons and mght not be too clever f you got searched by the polce.

33 13 fnely chop powder % 39% 59% 02 stmulants 08 87% Users who usually do 00 mn 5.8 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on stmulants-related pleasure

34 13 fnely chop powder Fner powders go further (maybe). Fner powders go further (maybe). Grndng up/choppng up your stmulant drugs very fnely can allow better connecton wth the nasal lnng, better dose management, easer snortng acton, reduced waste and nasal damage. t mght make your drugs last longer. Many people seem to thnk ths s an mportant strategy. GDS s not too sure of the evdence or whether you really do your nose less damage- but hey-ho ths s what thousands of people told us.