Bradford MSGI (like the union) does not condone nor condemn the use of drugs whether legal or illegal. We recognise that many people will choose to indulge in psychoactive substances whether going out drinking with the society, smoking a joint or popping pills with friends at nightclubs. We do not advocate that people break the law.
We advocate harm reduction measures to minimise the dangerous effects of drinking and other drugs use. Whether a drug is legal or Class AB or C is not an indication of how safe it is as all drugs have their dangers. We therefore encourage people to do their research beforehand.
Safer Drinking
1. Eat something before you go out.
2. Start later on in the day and space out your drinks. (Don’t rush it!)
3. Aim to alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks and choose lower strength drinks.
4. Don’t drink everyday- it is very easy for recreational drinking to become problematic use.
5. Use drinks stoppers, drink from bottles, don’t leave your drink unattended and don’t accept drinks from strangers to prevent drink spiking.
Drink Spiking
Drink spiking is when any mind altering substance has been added to your drink without you knowing. Other than alcohol, these most commonly include GHB, Rohypnol, Valium and Ketamine. When mixed with alcohol these drugs reduce a person’s ability to resist sexual assault or robbery. They are usually tasteless, have no colour or smell. It is therefore very hard to tell if your drink has been spiked.
Symptoms normally come on within 5-20 minutes, and can last as long as 12 hours.
The most common symptoms include: dizziness and difficulty with walking, confusion or feeling of disorientation (especially the next day), nausea or vomiting, hallucinations, tiredness, difficulty speaking, visual problems, paranoia and amnesia, particularly about things that have recently happened. Very rarely side effects can include muscle spasms, coma and even death.
If you begin to feel drunk after a very small amount of alcohol or think that your drink was spiked tell a member of management in the club or pub you’re in or someone else you trust. Get to a safe place as soon as possible and if you experience symptoms such as vomiting, hallucinations or drowsiness get to an accident and emergency department immediately.
Safer Drugs Use
1. Do NOT mix your drugs (including with alcohol).
2. Make sure you are in a good state of mind when choosing to take any drugs.
3. Be in an environment where you feel comfortable with your surroundings and all of those around you.
4. Find a source that you can trust, ultimately consuming any illegal drug you are taking a gamble with regard to purity that you will have to pay for.
5. Try purchasing testing kits, especially for ecstasy to determine if the substance you have purchased might actually be what you expected. Please be aware these kits are not an indication of purity and while they can indicate if a substance is present, they will not identify if any other harmful substances are present.
You may find the following links and contacts useful:
http://www.erowid.org
http://www.urban75.com/Drugs/index.html
http://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk
http://www.release.org.uk
http://www.avert.org/druguse.htm