Bristol Drugs Project issue safety guidelines

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‘Tis the season to be jolly…

The festive season has arrived and it’s the time for celebrations, merriment and, of course, excess.

Whether it’s a new bottle of celebratory fizz or another round of drinks with the friends, each year millions of Brits pick up their glass and ask for a top-up – consuming more than 600 million units of alcohol in December.

While no one will be drinking as much as Father Christmas this season (a calculated 1 million litres), over half of Brits plan to drink more in December than any other time of the year. These sobering figures easily highlight how overindulgence can quickly add up.

During this excessive celebratory season BDP (Bristol Drugs Project) are here to provide free and confidential support to the people of Bristol around their alcohol or drug use.

With over 25 years of experience working to help people reduce the harm they can cause to themselves, BDP have put together some advice to help you enjoy yourself during the festivities.

·         Take your time: Start drinking later in the day or plan to finish earlier. Pace yourself, let others finish their drink first and avoid drinking in rounds.

·         Take a break: Replace some of your drinks with non-alcoholic or low alcohol drinks. Remember to keep a supply of non-alcoholic drinks at home.

·         Beware of mixing: Mixing drugs with drink is a risky recipe and can cut your night short.

·         Cocaine: Mixing with alcohol creates the substance Cocaethylene which is toxic in the liver, raises blood pressure and increases chance of seizures, heart attacks and strokes.

·         Benzos: Mixing with alcohol can cause breathing problems and overdose. Avoid repeated use, as they are highly addictive. They also take a long time to come off and are dangerous to stop suddenly. Always have someone look out for you, as they can make you confused, forgetful and drowsy, leaving you vulnerable.

·         Wait to feel the effects: If you choose to use drugs, always give them time to work before re-dosing. The only ‘safe’ dose is none at all.

·         Ecstasy: Over the past ten years the average strength of Ecstacy has greatly increased. If taking Ecstasy, start with half a pill. Avoid re-dosing and mixing with other drugs or alcohol

·          GHB/GBL: If you don’t know the concentration of your liquid G, be extremely careful. There is no way, without testing, to determine its strength. Avoid frequent use as dependency can occur quickly.

·         Ketamine: Can often be mistaken or cut with MXE (which is approx. 8 times stronger) causing panic, anxiety and short-term paralysis. Avoid sharing tubes or using notes – to reduce the risks of blood borne viruses.

·         Legal highs: It’s impossible to know what’s in a ‘legal high’ before you buy it, so avoid mixing with alcohol. Many contain banned substances and have not been tested. They can have completely different effects, ranging from stimulating, sedating or causing hallucinations.

·         Remember to eat: It’s a bad idea to drink on an empty stomach. There are always plenty of leftovers in the fridge over Christmas; don’t let them go to waste.

·         Limit your cash: Decide the amount of money you will take out on a night and leave your cards at home. Always make sure you’ve got enough for a taxi or book one ahead.

·         Resist a refill: Keep track of how many you’ve had by only topping-up your glass when it’s empty.

·         Keep hydrated: If taking drugs, sip about 1 pint per hour of water or fruit juices. Drinking too much can lead to its own problems so take it slowly.

·         Look after your mates: Know what your friends have taken and let them know what you’ve had. If there is a problem, don’t delay getting help. Never let friends go off with strangers or in unmarked taxis and keep your drinks on you at all times.

·         Avoid driving:  Alcohol, drugs and wheels can be a lethal combination.

·         Keep your energy up if hung-over: Avoid the ‘hair of the dog’ as more alcohol will always make you feel worse in the long run. Choose a snack to raise blood sugar levels and drink water to help get rid of that headache.

If you, a family member or friend would like further confidential advice and information contact BDP on 0117 987 6000 or visit www.bdp.org.uk

BDP are supporting the 2015 Global Drug Survey, an anonymous and confidential survey comparing patterns of drug use across the world. To take part visit www.globaldrugsurvey.com