As Pride 2007 comes around as the Christmas celebration for the GLBTI community, it’s good to remember a few basics to make sure you get through the coming month with great memories and very few regrets or hangovers to your health, your relationship or your purse.

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Celebration and festivities go hand in hand in the community in similar ways to the mainstream community over the Christmas/ New Year period…parties; gatherings and catching up with friends. For many people this might also mean drinking too much alcohol or indulgence in what used to be referred to as party drugs…ecstasy, amyl and amphetamines.

It’s smart to remember that thinking about your drug/alcohol use before you get to the Party will lead to less tears, tantrums and trauma.

So how can you reduce harm associated with your choice to use?

Firstly, the safest use is of course no use.

If you are going to take drugs to keep you going through the night, just remember that illicit drugs (illegal drugs) are just that: illegal and come with no guarantees of content. That $150 you’ve just paid for 3 ecstasy tablets or for a bag of crystal may be nothing more than compressed flour or rock salt. Most ecstasy being sold on the streets is actually methamphetamine (crystal), not the MDMA that people associate with earlier use in the 1980’s and 90’s.

When you hear people talking of smacky pills, implying some heroin content…don’t be fooled. The smacky effect, including the vomiting doesn’t come from the very precious street commodity of heroin…it comes from ketamine.

So some basic self care for the next month:

1. Research your source and ask questions about the drug you are about to purchase… but remember there are no quality controls over illicit drug production. Even if you ask somebody else who has used a pill from the same source, there is no guarantee that you are getting exactly the same product…even if it looks the same.
2. Eat food before taking any alcohol or drugs as the stomach needs a lining and you need energy if you are planning to be awake for hours…remember that ecstasy and amphetamines suppress your appetite and make your body work harder, so eat before using.
3. Minimise the number of drugs you take…mixing drugs and alcohol compounds the effects and the comedown from each drug.
4. Test the waters…if you are going to take a pill or a line of speed, try a little first (e.g. half a pill) and wait to check the effect.
5. Arrange to have a non using friend around or make sure if everybody is using that you keep an eye on each other.
6. If you inject, do not share needles and safely dispose of needles.
7. Take breaks from dancing so that your body has a chance to cool down.
8. Drink a 600 ml bottle of water every hour if you are being very active, less if you are sitting it out.
9. Mixing Viagra, crystal and ecstasy with amyl can cause heart attacks…so best to let your heart feel naturally than to have no feeling left!
10. Crystal and sex often lead to long sex sessions…remember safe sex is the best sex… use condoms; don’t share toys and wash them in between use. Don’t forget the lube!
11. If using crystal, keep an eye out for bleeding gums, sores or loose teeth. Oral sex won’t be the same again if you get Hepatitis C, HIV or some nasty STD.
12. Don’t forget to rest and eat well both before and after partying as most of the energy and enthusiasm you feel on drugs comes from a well cared for body and rather than just the drug.

Finally stay safe; be smart and if you need to talk anonymously and confidentially about your own or somebody else’s drug/alcohol use call the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) ON 94425000.

We acknowledge the AIDS Council of NSW for helpful content from their booklet CRYSTAL.

This article was written by an experienced drug and alcohol counsellor and has been endorsed for publication in OUTinPerth by WASUA (WA Substance User’s Association).