What’s in this booklet?

For many people, having a drink with friends is one of life’s pleasures. However, for others, drinking can lead to a variety of problems

This is because they drink too much, too often. Alternatively, they may drink too much in one session and risk harming themselves or people around them.

In this booklet, we will follow the drinking habits of Lucy, Danny, Warren, Anna and Billy, consider their drinking patterns and if they need to make any changes. The Drinker’s Stories can help you assess own drinking habits and help you make decisions about your alcohol use.

Use the drinks diary on the inside back page to record the number of alcoholic drinks you have throughout the week. Work out the total number of units you drink, and decide if you would benefit from cutting down.

You can also use the techniques in the six-step plan to help you cut down on the amount of alcohol you drink. 

Drinker’s Stories

In the first drinker stories, we are going to follow the drinking habits and problems of Lucy, Danny, Warren, Anna and Billy. 

Lucy

Lucy is 18 years old and studying Leisure & Tourism at her local college. Lucy has a flat where she lives with her 18-month-old daughter, Britney. Lucy’s mum loves minding Britney when Lucy goes out and does a lot of childcare for her.
Lucy has lots of friends who enjoy meeting in bars and nightclubs at weekends.

Danny

Danny is 19, unemployed and still lives at home with his parents.
He and his mates often pass the time by drinking lager, and also enjoy Friday nights when they get completely bladdered.

Warren

Warren is 41 years-old and is a maintenance man for a gas company. Warren is married and has three children aged 7, 9 and 11.
Warren will go out for a few pints a couple of times in the week. About once a month he will spend Saturday with the lads, watching the match in the afternoon and then he carries on drinking all day and into the evening.

Anna

Anna is 34 years old and is a marketing consultant for a PR company.
She is very ambitious and tends to work long hours. Anna lives with her boyfriend. She likes red wine.

Billy

Billy is 62 years old and began drinking heavily about 20 years ago.
Billy drinks super-strength cider and beer or sherry. He decides what to drink when he sees what special offers the corner supermarket has on. 

Units of alcohol

So, how do you know if you are drinking too much, too often? Firstly, you need to work out how many units you usually drink.

The amount of alcohol in a drink is measured in units. Different drinks contain different numbers of units. Different types of alcoholic drinks will have different amounts of units, which will determine their strength. You can calculate the amount of alcohol in any drink if you know the quantity of liquid and the percentage of alcohol it contains, this information is usually on a label stuck to the back of the packaging

We know you may not remember a formula when you are having a drink* so we have given a guide to the number of units contained in some popular drinks, on the facing page.

Work out the units in your drinks.

*If you can’t find your favourite drink, here is the formula so you to work it out for yourself:

Units = Volume (ml) x % alcohol (abv) / 1000

A guide to the number of units in some popular drinks

How many units are too much?

It is known that the risks from alcohol start from any level of regular drinking and rise with the amount consumed.

In 2016 new alcohol guidelines, were set by the Department of Health. The guidelines recommend that both women and men should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week to keep health risks from alcohol low.

They have been set at this level to keep the risk of mortality from cancers or other diseases “low”.

If you do choose to drink that amount, it’s best to spread your drinking evenly over three or more days. If you wish to cut down on the amount you are drinking, a good way to do this is to have several drink-free days per week.

Alcohol and your health

Cancer

Scientists have found that cancers are more common in people who regularly drink, with risk increasing the more you drink.

Heart

Although there is evidence that suggests drinking within the guidelines - for certain groups of people - may have a small protective effect on the heart, this can be cancelled out by the increased risk of other illnesses.

Pregnancy

Alcohol can increase the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight and developmental problems. It is not clear how much alcohol if any, it is OK to drink while you are pregnant. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant it is safer to leave alcohol alone.

Weight gain

Alcohol is packed with calories, a pint of beer can have the same calories as a slice of pizza, and a glass of wine as much as a cake, add that to the alcohol munchies and your waistline is only going one way.

Drinker’s Stories

Lucy

Lucy will usually have three bottles of alcopops when she goes out twice in the week. At the weekend she will drink a half bottle of wine and up to 8 alcopops in a night.

Total: 46 units a week.

Over three times the recommended levels.

Danny

Danny will drink up to three cans of strong lager a day. At weekends he will pool money with friends and drink a quarter bottle of vodka before going to the pub drinking up to six pints of normal lager.

Total: 67 units a week.

Over four and a half times the recommended levels.

Warren

Warren will drink at least three to four pints of lager each night in the pub. If Warren is having a Saturday ‘session’ he can drink up to 15 pints of lager (plus a gram of cocaine).

Total: 78 units a week.

Over five times the recommended levels.

Anna

Anna drinks a bottle of wine at least four nights during the week. At weekends she may drink two or more bottles of wine.

Total 48 – 64 units a week.

Over four times the recommended levels.

Billy

Billy drinks at least four cans of super-strength cider or beer, or a bottle of sherry, every day.

Total: 16 – 25 units a day, every day.

This means he drinks up to 112 units a week. Eight times the recommended levels.

What are the benefits of cutting down on drinking?

If you drink above the recommended limits, you may have already experienced problems such as tiredness, gaining weight, hangovers or sometimes not being able to remember what you did the night before.

Overall, you won’t be in the best of physical shape. If you continue drinking at harmful levels you can develop more severe problems such as high blood pressure, brain damage and liver disease.

Alcohol affects judgement and the ability to control impulses. This can lead you to do things that you wouldn’t normally do when sober. You can embarrass yourself or others after drinking too much, have regretted sexual encounters or have arguments and fights.

Drinker’s stories

Lucy

Problems Lucy has had recently

Lucy has had a fair few regrettable incidents in the last few months. She has been leaving the bars and clubs with men she had just met. She has also been getting into arguments with other girls inside clubs and on the street, mostly about boys. She has been arrested and cautioned for assault and public disorder offences. Lucy has been called to appear in court on a charge of assault and affray.

Why Lucy decided to cut down on her drinking 

For Lucy’s mum, this was the final straw and she told her that she will not be used as a free babysitter any more while Lucy goes out and gets drunk. Also, Lucy has had to tell people at her college what has happened and ask for a character reference, which they didn’t want to do. Lucy decided to stop keeping up with friends on a Saturday night and drank less, she found she enjoyed dancing in a club just as much, and for the first time in ages can remember getting home (alone).

Danny

Problems Danny has had recently

Danny’s benefits, most of which are spent on lager, means he often asks his mum for loans or to buy him clothes, causing big rows at home.

Danny meets a gang of friends in the city centre most nights where he will drink cans and smoke weed. He often gets into trouble with the police and he has recently been in court for breaking into a newsagents.

Why Danny decided to cut down on his drinking

Danny’s mother has had enough and tells him he has to leave home. After spending a couple of weeks staying at mate’s houses, Danny found he had nowhere to go.

Danny had to ask a support agency for housing advice. He is now in his first flat and on a training scheme. Danny hasn’t got the money to drink like he used to because he needs to pay his rent and bus fares. Danny is determined not to mess up this time.

Warren

Problems Warren has had recently

Warren was looking forward to his monthly Saturday session. However he has found that he can’t handle it like he used to, and by the end of the night he was feeling tired, confused and irritable. After waiting an hour for a taxi home, Warren had to take a pee in a shop doorway.

Unfortunately, a police officer was passing by and gave Warren a caution, which he didn’t take well. He was arrested and spent the night in the cells.

Why Warren decided to cut down on his drinking   

Waking up in police cells on a Sunday morning was humiliating. Going home and explaining to his wife and kids where he had been was even worse. He had the added worry of people at work finding out he had been arrested.

Warren knows that this was a wake-up call and that his Saturday sessions had to be brought under control.

Realising that trying to explain to the lads that he was going to lay off the all day sessions was going to get him some stick from his mates, he made the decision to watch the match at his local pub instead, and then go home.

Anna

Problems Anna has had recently

Anna recently went for drinks on a Friday, straight from work after a very hard week. The bar near work had a deal where buying two glasses of wine meant you got the rest of the bottle free. She started off drinking with people from work but over the evening they left, Anna was too drunk to care and was talking to strangers. Anna can’t remember the last two hours she was out; nothing at all. The police picked up Anna off the street where she was sitting and crying, she couldn’t remember where she lived and had trouble standing – she had also lost her bag and coat.

Why Anna decided to cut down on her drinking 

Anna sobered up while she was being interviewed by a female police officer about what had happened to her. She wasn’t charged but was cautioned about her behaviour while waiting for her boyfriend to come and pick her up.

Anna has realised that she drinks every evening out of habit more than enjoyment. Anna thought that drinking helped her relax at the end of the day. She didn’t have a drink for a week and by the end realised she hadn’t slept so well for a long time and feels like she has much more energy. Anna now goes home straight after work on a Friday night.

Billy

Problems Billy has had recently

Billy is lonely. He lost contact with his old friends and family years ago when his drinking took over his life. Billy lost his home years ago and stays at a hostel.

Why Billy decided to cut down on his drinking  

Billy was asleep in a doorway and was set upon by some men. Billy was badly hurt and was in hospital for a week. He decided to talk to someone about his drinking and get help. He is seeing an alcohol counsellor and has not had a drink for a few weeks. He is beginning to look at the future for the first time in years.

Should you cut down or stop?

Most people who drink too much just need to cut down. Others will need to stop completely. It is important that you think about how alcohol is affecting you and the people around you:

1. Do you drink more than 9 units in one session on a regular basis?
2. Have you acted out of character because of your drinking habits (eg. Missed work/college, or broken promises)?
3. Have people close to you expressed concern or anger about the amount you drink?
4. Have you caused injury to yourself or others after drinking?

If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions it could mean that you should cut-down your drinking. You can follow the six-step plan given in this booklet.

If you can answer “yes” to three or more questions, you should contact your local services and get advice, help and support before you cut down or stop drinking. The contact details for your local services can be found at the back of this booklet.

Will cutting down on drinking be difficult?

For many, drinking has become a habit. If you change your routine and do different things you will find you don’t crave alcohol as much as you thought you would. When you are cutting down or stopping drinking, support from family or friends can be of great help.

However, if you are used to drinking regularly you may have a strong desire to drink alcohol. You should talk to someone at your local alcohol service and they can help you plan for a change in lifestyle.

Try the six-step plan for changing your drinking habits.

After reading this far you know quite a lot about the effects of alcohol and the problems it can cause to your health and your personal life.

In the following pages of this booklet. We have laid out a six-step plan, which can help you cut down on the amount of alcohol you drink.

Step 1

Identify good reasons for changing your drinking habits

Deciding on good reasons for changing your drinking habits will help you to succeed.  What we mean by a “good” reason is one that makes sense to you.  Right, now think of some good reasons for changing your habits.  

There are dozens of good reasons to change your drinking habits, they will be different for each person.  For example,

• more time for things you’ve always wanted to do
• save a lot of money and be able to spend it on other things you enjoy
• more energy
• lose weight
• less likely to have arguments with those around you
• less likely to develop serious health problems such as liver disease

Step 2

Set your goals

Having a plan for changing your drinking means you need to set goals to work towards.  Pick a day when you are going to start your plan and set your daily drinking goals each week.  

The next thing to do is to keep a record of your drinking – this will help you work out whether you are meeting your goals and staying on track.  The main thing to remember if you don’t meet your goals is to keep on trying and to work out strategies to help you in the future. 

Step 3

Recognise difficult times

No matter how much you want to change your drinking habits there will be times when you’ll find it difficult.  These are known as high-risk times.

Stop and think for a moment about the last few times you drank too much.  Where were you and what were you feeling?

The following is a list of common high-risk times.  You can use this list to help you think about your own high-risk times.  In the next section we will get you to think of ways of coping with these situations.

• after work
• when I am out celebrating at a party or a club
• when I have had a really difficult day at work or looking after the children
• when I want to relax
• when I feel lonely or depressed

Step 4 

Deal with difficult times

You now have a list of the hardest times for you – so you’ve already worked out when you are most likely to drink. Now you have to work out how to deal with those difficult situations – without a drink in your hand.

Ways of coping with difficult times:

• avoid going to the pub after work – perhaps arrange
  a different social activity, e.g. jogging, night class, new hobby.
• avoid friends who drink heavily
• plan activities or tasks at those times that you usually drink
• when you’re bored or stressed have a physical workout or go for a walk instead of drinking
• eat a meal before drinking, it will make you feel more full and then you’ll drink less
• remind yourself that the craving for the drink will go if you occupy yourself with something else
• avoid drinking in “shouts” or “rounds”
• dilute your drink e.g., add soda to wine and mixers to spirits
• practise your reasons for refusing alcoholic drinks

Step 5  

Find someone to support you

This plan is all about changing your habits.  Some people find it easier to change a habit if they have someone to help them.  This person could be your partner/friend or someone at work who also wants to change their habits.

Your support person should be someone you can talk to easily, be honest with, and can ask for advice when you need it.

If you are very worried about the effects of drinking on your health, your GP or nurse can help you.  There are also special alcohol counsellors for this reason and telephone numbers are listed on the last page of this booklet.

Step 6   

Stick to your goals

Drinking alcohol is an enjoyable part of many people’s lives – a habit that they’d feel lost without.  This type of habit is hard to break.  However, the information you’ve written down in this booklet will help you. 

REMEMBER; Every time you stop yourself from doing something by habit, you are one step nearer to breaking the habit altogether.

Your Weekly Drink Diary

Use this page to record the alcoholic drinks you have throughout the week. To work out your total units, see the unit guide on page 7.

Getting Help

If you feel your drinking is getting out of hand, consider talking to someone. Maybe a close friend, family, or a local advice project.

Here are some organisations that can also help you:

Talk to Frank

National drugs and alcohol awareness site

0800 77 66 00
www.talktofrank.com 

Alcohol Concern

Alcohol Concern is the national agency on alcohol misuse campaigning for effective alcohol policy and improved services for people whose lives are affected by alcohol-related problems.

Addaction

UK - wide treatment agency, helping individuals, families and communities to manage the effects of drug and alcohol misuse.

www.addaction.org.uk

www.drinkaware.co.uk

Drinkaware aims to increase awareness and understanding of the role of alcohol in society, enabling individuals to make informed choices about their drinking and helps people who are concerned about their own or someone else’s drinking.

0800 917 8282
www.drinkaware.co.uk

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Amphetamine

• Amphetamine is a manufactured chemical, also known as speed and whizz.
• Appears as a white/yellowish powder.
• It’s a stimulant which can make you feel confident, talkative and energetic.Can cause strain on your heart and make you feel anxious and depressed. Tolerance to amphetamine can build up, so you need to take more to feel the same effect.
• It’s a Class B drug. Illegal to have, sell or give away.

Mephedrone

• Mephedrone, also known as M-cat, bubble, meow-meow, is a manufactured chemical similar to amphetamine.
• It’s usually a white or off-white powder found in tablets, capsules or powder form.
• It’s a stimulant which can make you feel alert, confident and talkative.
• Can cause anxiety, panic attacks, and irregular heartbeat. It raises blood pressure, which can put additional strain on the heart and can become habit-forming.
• It’s a Class B drug. Illegal to have, sell or give away.

Cannabis

• Cannabis comes from a plant called Cannabis Sativa.
• It’s typically smoked, rolled with tobacco in cigarette papers, or using a pipe or bong. It comes in a brown block called hash (the resin scraped from the plant) or its dried flowers, known as grass or weed.
• Cannabis makes you feel relaxed, trippy, tired and sleepy. But it can also make you feel edgy, anxious and frightened.
• Smoking cannabis mixed with tobacco can cause lung damage and cancer.
• It’s a Class B drug. Illegal to have, sell, grow or give away.

Alcohol

• Alcohol is a chemical produced by brewing grains or fruits with water, sugar and yeast.
• It comes in various forms, such as lager, wine, cider or vodka. The amount of alcohol in a drink is measured in units found on alcohol packaging. Different drinks have different numbers of units.
• It slows down your brain, which, in small amounts, can make you feel relaxed and friendly.
• Too much alcohol can damage your health and lead to addiction. Drinking large amounts too quickly can result in unconsciousness and sometimes death.
• It’s illegal to buy, attempt to buy, or sell alcohol to anyone under 18.

Tobacco

• Tobacco is the chopped up leaves of the Nicotiana plant, which are usually rolled into cigarettes.
• It’s a stimulant which makes your heart pump faster, increasing your blood pressure.
• Tobacco contains nicotine, which is addictive
• It contains thousands of chemicals, some of which will increase your chances of developing cancer and heart disease or having a stroke.
• Tobacco is legal but illegal to sell or give to anyone under 18.

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

DRD Co-ordinator (Aberdeenshire)

Life+

Cannabis, also known as marijuana, generally refers to the dried flowers (Grass) or resin (Hash) of the female Marijuana plant (Cannabis Sativa/Indica). It comes in the form of resin, normally extracted from the flowers of the plant, the dried flowers themselves, or very rarely as cannabis oil.

Cannabis contains many chemicals, some of which are known as cannabinoids.

The cannabinoid which give you the feeling of being high or stoned is called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

HOW IS IT USED?

Smoked as a joint

Cannabis is usually smoked in a cigarette called a ‘joint’, normally rolled with tobacco.

Smoked using a bong or pipe

Smoked in a pipe or a water ‘bong’ (a pipe which passes the smoke through water to cool and filter it). When smoked, cannabis usually affects you quite quickly.

Vaporisers

Vaporisers (about £50 to buy) are less risky - they get just hot enough to release the THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol, the bit that gets you stoned) but not the tar.

Eating

Sometime people will eat cannabis, mixed with other ingredients, eg. in biscuits (cookies) or cakes.

• If it is eaten, the effects take much longer to be felt but can build up and get stronger over a longer time.
• It is much harder for someone to control the dose of the drug when cannabis is eaten.

How will cannabis make you feel?

Cannabis affects people in different ways. It depends on how you feel, how much you smoke and where and who you are with, but generally, when smoked, the effects are felt quite quickly.

They can range from feeling relaxed, happy and laid back to feeling wired and paranoid.

Other effects can include eating large amounts of biscuits, pot burns in your favourite clothes and sitting on your bum all day.

PROBLEMS

Physical  Health

Cannabis is usually smoked with tobacco which is known to cause serious health problems including cancer and heart disease. The nicotine in tobacco is very addictive and damaging to your health.

Your lungs were not meant to take in hot, noxious gases, so smoking cannabis, even on its own, is not good for your lungs.

Mental Health

If you feel down, cannabis will probably make you feel worse. You may feel sick, confused and worried – but these feeling will normally wear off as the cannabis does.

Some research suggests that if you have an underlying mental health problem or one that you may not know about, using cannabis may bring it on.

Be aware of how you feel when you smoke cannabis. If you start to feel anxious, paranoid or stressed out you should think about cutting down or stopping altogether.

Dependency

Using cannabis can become a habit. Regular users may find it hard to stop. If you smoke cannabis with tobacco you may find it even more difficult to give up cigarettes.

Motivation

When you use cannabis, you may keep forgetting what you’re doing and find it hard to concentrate. You might find you can’t work or study properly. You may still feel spaced out the next day.

Accidents

Cannabis can make you clumsy and slow to react. Don’t smoke cannabis if you are going to drive or operate machinery.

REDUCE THE RISKS

The only risk-free drug use is no drug use, but if you are using, or considering using cannabis, the advice below will help minimise the risks to your health.

Don’t mix it with tobacco.

Tobacco is addictive and has been proven to cause cancer and heart disease.

Don’t hold  the cannabis smoke in your lungs 

You won’t get more stoned. It just means more tar and other nasty chemicals will stick to your lungs.

Don’t use a cigarette filter for a roach

You will inhale more tar. Use plain card, loosely rolled up, for a roach – this lets the smoke flow easily.

Don’t use too many papers 

Three skinners will do – or you’ll breathe in too much burnt paper.

Don’t use plastic bottles, rubber hoses, PVC, foil and aluminium 

These give off toxic fumes when hot. Glass, steel or brass pipes are safer.

Maybe you like to get high, but not everyone does. Show some respect. Don’t smoke near people who don’t use cannabis – especially children and people with breathing problems.

IN CONTROL

If you or someone you are with is having a bad time while using cannabis, the information below will help you stay in control:

• If one of your friends is having a bad time sit them somewhere quiet and comfortable, away from others. Stay calm and keep them calm, take their mind off things by talking to them. Tell them the bad feelings will wear off soon.
• Cannabis lowers blood-sugar levels. You will feel better if you have something sweet to eat or drink.
• If you feel bad when stoned you should think about stopping, if only for a short time. Give your mind and your body a break.
• If you use it every day, have a couple of days off each week. Smoke fewer spliffs a day, or put a bit less in them.
• If you are trying to cut down, avoid places, people or events that remind you of cannabis.
• Don’t buy extra, thinking you will save some for tomorrow – you probably won’t.

Cannabis is illegal. It is a class B drug. It’s against the law to possess cannabis, sell it or give it away, grow it or let your place be used for smoking it.

The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug can be up to five years in prison and an unlimited fine.

The maximum penalty for supplying a Class B drug can be 14 years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

In reality, if you are caught in possession of cannabis an ‘escalation’ penalty system may be used.

If you are under 18

Anyone under 18 years of age found in possession of cannabis will be taken to a police station where they may receive a reprimand, final warning or charge, depending on the seriousness of the offence. This must be administered in the presence of an appropriate adult.

If you are caught with cannabis in Scotland you’ll be arrested and reported to the Procurater Fiscal, who will decide if criminal proceedings should be taken or not.

A criminal record can be a real problem at home, college or work, and in later life.

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The UK has a vibrant nightlife scene attracting a diverse range of clubbers using an increasing range of illegal drugs.

With new and different drugs popping up all the time, it’s essential to be extra careful. Drugs can affect you differently depending on what they are, where you are, and how you’re feeling. Some speed you up, some slow you down, and some get you as far off your head as possible. However, there are risks involved in using any drug.

This booklet will help guide you through some of the  potential risks of a night or weekend clubbing and provide tips on reducing the risks and staying as safe as possible.

DRUGS

This section contains information on the most commonly used club drugs, split into three categories based on their effects – uppers, spaced and downers.

But remember, the effects of drugs can vary depending on how much you have taken, what is actually in the drugs, and any other drugs you may have taken.

Pill testing kits

Pill testing kits should be viewed with caution. Although they can detect certain chemicals, they cannot tell you how much of the chemical is in the pill (dose), or what other drugs may be in there. Just because a pill tests positive for the chemical you were hoping for, it does not make it safe.

Snort it or eat it?

Snorting drugs will cause the effects to start within a very short time and with a higher intensity, but wear off relatively quickly. Eating your drugs, pills or powder, means the effects will come on much slower and steadier, but last for a longer period with much less of a crash at the end.

Passing around notes or straws for snorting drugs can pass around germs like hepatitis and other blood-borne viruses. Keep your nostrils healthy by flushing out your nose with clean water at the end of each session.

Ecstasy strength

Caution:

Caution

CAUTION:

BEFORE THE CLUB

Pre-club drinks

Mixing alcohol with drugs is dangerous. If you must drink, try and stick to drinks with a low percentage of alcohol. Avoid the high-strength lagers, shots and spirits. Alternate your drinks with soft drinks, fruit juice or lemonade.

Drugs and the law

Under a new law, all psychoactive substances (i.e. drugs) are illegal - apart from alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. So if it doesn’t look like booze, fags, or coffee, the police can pull you. So is picking up drugs for yourself and your mates to share. If you are stopped by the police and tell them the drugs are for you and your mates, that would be considered possession with intent to supply, a very serious offence.

If you are in a car in which the police find drugs and no one claims ownership, everyone in the car could be charged with possession or supply.

On the door

Many clubs insist on a search. You can refuse, but the club also has the right to refuse you entry.

Only the outside of clothes, pockets and bags can be searched. The search must be conducted by a member of staff of the same sex. They cannot search inside clothes without your permission and can never conduct intimate searches, such as inside underwear or strip-searches.

Necking all your drugs at once to get around the search is dangerous, you could also still be standing in the queue when your drugs start to come up. Make sure you bring some warm clothes for waiting in the queue and for going home.

Don’t buy drugs in the club. You can’t be sure what you are buying in a dark club if you are off your face.

IN THE CLUB

Look after each other

Know what drugs your mates have taken so you can tell the medical staff if they are taken ill. If anyone starts to have a bad trip, take them somewhere quiet and reassure them it’s just the effects of the drugs and the feelings will wear off.

Don’t let a friend leave with strangers. Try to find out who they are and where they are going first.

Getting caught with drugs in the club

Any club that allows its premises to be used for the consumption of drugs can be closed down. So it’s unsurprising they keep a close eye on what’s happening inside. Openly snorting powders and necking tablets aren’t good looks.

If you are lucky, you will only have your drugs confiscated and have a very long wait outside the club for your mates to come out, rather than being reported to the police and ending up with a criminal record.

Uppers and heatstroke (Hyperthermia)

Uppers can raise your body temperature and decrease the release of heat by constricting blood vessels near the skin, combined with physical exertion it can cause your body to overheat. If it reaches extreme levels it can permanently damage your organs or prove fatal.

Signs of heatstroke are:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Hot dry skin
• Nausea (this can also be caused by your drugs starting to kick in)

If you start to feel ill stop what you are doing, get some fluids and take some time out. Go to the chillout area and try and get some fresh air. If the symptoms don’t improve, get medical help straight away.

Water Intoxication (hyponatraemia)

While it is important not to become dehydrated when out clubbing, taking on too much fluid can also cause its own problems. It can upset the balance of sodium in your body and cause your brain to swell, which is extremely dangerous.

You should try to sip about a pint of fluid an hour. Try to include some fruit juice or Isotonic sports drinks.

Mixing drugs

Mixing drugs is dangerous as the effects of the two drugs together are unpredictable. Your body can only process so much at once. Putting extra pressure on it by asking it to do too much can lead to a dangerous build-up of drug levels in your body which could have serious consequences. If you drink alcohol and take cocaine, your body produces a third substance called Cocaethylene. This is highly toxic and can cause heart problems.

Mixing alcohol or prescription drugs with illegal drugs is asking for trouble.

Those on HIV or hepatitis meds should seek specialist advice before using GHB/GBL or Ketamine. They can cause serious interactions with prescribed medication.

AFTER THE CLUB

Driving home

It’s simple – DON’T DRIVE IF YOU HAVE BEEN TAKING DRUGS! They affect your vision, coordination, concentration, perception and spatial awareness, and reaction times. You will be affected for a long time after you have taken drugs.

It’s illegal to drive if either:

• you’re unfit to do so because you’re on legal or illegal drugs
• you have certain levels of illegal drugs in your blood (even if they haven’t affected your driving)

The police can stop you and use a roadside drug kit if they think you’ve been using drugs. If convicted, the penalties are:

• a minimum 1-year driving ban
• an unlimited fine
• up to 6 months in prison
• a criminal record

Your driving licence will also show you’ve been convicted of drug driving. This will last for 11 years

Sex and ED (erectile dysfunction) Drugs

Some drugs give you a loved-up feeling and increase sexual desire, but they can also make it difficult to get an erection. Some of you may consider using ED drugs to try and overcome this. But combining uppers (ecstasy, speed or cocaine) with ED drugs can have an increased effect on body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate. Using Poppers with ED drugs can also compromise your immune system, increasing the risk of sexually transmitted infections. Poppers are dangerous for anyone with chest or heart problems, anaemia or glaucoma.

ED drug’s ability to prolong sex increases the risk of breaks in the skin, increasing the risk of passing on sexually transmitted infections. Always carry condoms and use them.

Handling the come-down

The best way to ensure a bad come-down is to take more drugs or drink alcohol. You won’t get any higher, but you will regret it later on. Taking downers to ease the landing will only put off the inevitable for a few hours.

When you get back from the club, try to resist the temptation to keep the party going by taking more drugs. Treat it as a different part of the experience. This is the best time of the night. Relax. Change into fresh, loose-fitting clothes. Turn the lights down low. Put on some chilled tunes. Get a cup of tea - the best come-down drug there is! Crash on the sofa and chat with your friends. Chill out.

Look after yourself

If you enjoy clubbing and want to continue doing it, be good to yourself. Don’t drink or do drugs throughout the week. Get plenty of rest and sleep. Eat well. A healthy, balanced diet throughout the week is like putting money in the bank to spend at the weekend. Stay fit. Working out, walking, swimming, or any sport will strengthen your heart and lungs and improve your mental wellbeing.

Keep clubbing as a special weekend treat; don’t let it take over your life. The more varied social life you have outside the club nights will make those sessions all the more enjoyable. Clubbing can be fun, but it’s not the top and bottom of everything. Enjoy life. The more you have going on in your life, the more special your night’s clubbing will become.

OVERDOSE

Using any drug carries risk. These risks increase if you are mixing drugs or combining them with alcohol, and can result in an overdose. This can still happen even sometime after you have taken the drugs.

The symptoms for people who are overdosing on uppers or downers are different but some people can display symptoms of both.

OVERDOSE SYMPTOMS CAN INCLUDE

• Uppers - Chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, hot to the touch and red in the face, sudden collapse.
• Downers - Looks pale, blue lips, shortness of breath, sudden collapse, not waking in response to stimuli, snoring deeply (this is a sign of difficulty breathing, not deep sleep).

If this happens in a club, take them to a cool quiet place and get help straight away, most clubs will have a designated first aider who will help them until an ambulance arrives.

If it happens away from the club, put them in the recovery position and call an ambulance, you do not have to give your name, and the police have a policy of not attending overdose calls, unless there is any danger to the medical staff, a death, or child safety issues.

Always tell the medical staff who attend what drugs they have taken, and if possible give samples to the medical staff this could save someone's life.

You can buy printed versions of this information in the Substance shop

Go to shop

These organisations and websites can provide further drug information and advice.

Talk to Frank

National drugs awareness site for young people and parents/carers.
www.talktofrank.com

Helpline 0800 77 66 00

talktofrank.com

RELEASE

Release is the national centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law - providing free and confidential specialist advice to the public and professionals.

www.release.org.uk

WEDINOS

WEDINOS is a harm reduction project, providing an anonymous drug-checking service,

wedinos.org

The Loop

The Loop develops and delivers innovative health interventions through its drug checking services and related harm reduction advice and support.

wearetheloop.org