What is safer use?
When you use psychoactive substances, you always take risks for yourself and your health. Safer use includes all the things you can do yourself to reduce the risks of harm when you use. On this page, we give you an overview of everything that can help you manage substances well in the short and long term. You decide for yourself what suits you and what you feel comfortable with. However, despite safer use, there will never be a completely safe consumption – that’s why we don’t talk about safe use but about safer use
General safer use tips
How a drug works is dependent on the interaction of three factors: drug, set andsetting. This means that not only the substance(s) you take, but also your own physical and mental condition, as well as your environment, play an important role in how you experience the high.
DRUG
- • The more you know about a substance, its possible effects and side effects, the better. Educate yourself about the substances you plan to use before taking them.
- No one can know exactly what and how much is in illegally sourced substances without testing them. If possible, use drug-checking, services to find out exactly what is in them and how much. You can check current substance warnings to get an overview of possible risks in Berlin. Even if substances look the same, they don’t necessarily have the same composition.
- • It is a good idea to try a low dose first to get a feel for the effects. Wait for the full effect to unfold before adding more. Even with substances you already know, it makes sense to start low with each new purchase, as they may have different compositions.
- Mixed use (taking different substances simultaneously) makes it harder to estimate how the high will be. This also makes the risks of consumption harder to assess. Some combinations can be life-threatening (e.g. GHB/GBL and alcohol, or poppers and Viagra). If you want to use with as little risk as possible, it’s best to stick with one substance. If you want to mix, be aware of possible interactions.
SET
- Everyone reacts differently to substances. This means, for example, that your friends’ dose may not be right for you. Rausch ist individuell und fühlt sich für jede*n anders an.Intoxication is individual and feels different for everyone.
- Negative feelings and emotions such as anxiety, nervousness or sadness might be intensified by taking drugs. If you are physically and emotionally well, chances are higher that you will feel well during the trip.
- Substance use is taxing on your body. Take breaks on the fresh air regularly. Make sure you drink enough water and eat a snack in between.
- How used are you to taking substances right now? How long has it been since you last consumed? These questions are important because many substances have a habituation/ tolerance building effect. This means that the more often you use them, the more you need to take to achieve the same effect.
- Regular breaks in consumption help to break down tolerance building. How long it takes for your tolerance to return to zero is different for each substance – but it can take several weeks Substances that act in a similar way in the body also “share” tolerance – so to reduce it, for example, you need to give up all stimulants, not just one particular substance.
- Your consumption influences your perception and behavior. This can lead you to prioritize safer sex differently. Consider in advance which safer sex strategy suits you and prepare yourself accordingly.
SETTING
- It is best to consume with people you know and trust. Talk to your friends about what you have consumed and that you have consumed it. . Ideally, there should be someone who can stay sober and provide support if needed.
- Find an environment in which you feel comfortable to consume. Try to avoid situations that require you to be on high alert, such as swimming. If you participate in traffic while under the influence of substances, you endanger yourself and others, and you are liable to prosecution.
- Are there people around who can help in an emergency? Trust talking to them if you or someone else is feeling bad. If necessary, call an ambulance (112).
WHAT ELSE?
- It is normal to feel exhausted, low energy, or in a bad mood in the first few days after using. If possible, plan the after effects into your daily routine and try to take it slow on those days.
- Proper nutrition can aid your recovery after consumption. Nutrients provide your body with energy. Therefore, try to eat nutritious meals rich in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. Dehydration is common during recovery from substance use. It’s important to drink plenty of fluids during and between meals. Also, make sure to exercise and get enough rest.
- To manage your substance usage well in the long term, it is helpful to have regular conversations where you can reflect on yourself. Talk to your friends or counselors at drug counseling centers about your use, even if you don’t find your usage problematic.
Safer use tips for each form of consumption/ road of administration
ORAL: Bombing, swallowing, under the tongue
Oral use involves eating, drinking, swallowing, or placing substances under the tongue. How exactly the substance is consumed depends on the form of the drug: tablets and pills are suitable for swallowing; tabs (LSD) are usually placed under the tongue; liquid substances are drunk mixed in a drink; mushrooms can be chewed and swallowed, or, just like cannabis, consumed in the form of snacks (e.g., chocolate, cakes, cookies). Crystals or powders can also be taken orally by putting them in cigarette papers or capsules (“bombs”), or by mixing them into a drink.
- Swallowing is a lower-risk way to consume. Oral consumption is less harmful to your mucous membranes than sniffing or booty bumping, for example. The effects also build up more slowly and are felt less strongly.
- Taken orally, it usually takes longer for you to notice the effect – especially if it hasn’t been long since your last meal. It can take up to two hours for the effect to kick in. To avoid overdosing, wait until you notice the effect before adding more.
- Swallowing corrosive substances (e.g. GHB/GBL) – even if they are diluted in drinks – will damage your gums and teeth in the long run.
- Avoid drinking solid substances dissolved in your drink – most are highly corrosive and attack teeth and gums. The effect is delayed and more difficult to assess.
NASAL: Sniffing, taking lines
Sniffing usually involves placing crystals or powder into lines and inhaling them into a nostril with the help of a tube. The active ingredients of the drug are then absorbed through the nasal mucosa.
- Consumption through the nasal mucosa allows active ingredients to enter the bloodstream more directly compared to swallowing. This means that the effect usually sets in much faster and is perceived more intensively.
- Snorting damages your nasal mucosa. Crush your substances as finely as possible to reduce injuries. You can remove insoluble substances from your nose with a nasal rinse. Nourishing oils or creams can help the nasal mucosa heal.
- Watch your dosage. Sniffing requires smaller doses than swallowing to achieve a similar effect.
- If you share sniffing tools with others, you may get or pass on infections such as Hepatitis C. Use only your own clean utensils to avoid infections when snorting. Banknotes are unsanitary and therefore not suitable consumption utensils.
- Find a clean surface to sniff from. It is safer to disinfect it beforehand.
- If the health of your nose deteriorates permanently (irritation, inflammation, dryness, excessive mucus, lack of sense of smell), take a break from consumption and consult a doctor.
- Tablets and pills are not suitable for snorting because they often contain substances that do not dissolve. These remain in the lungs and can lead to clumping.
- If you snort several lines in a row, it is best to change up the nostrils. In this way, you can prevent your mucous membranes from being overly strained on one side.
INTRAVENOUS AND INTRAMUSCULAR: Slamming, injection
Slamming means substances are injected directly into the veins or muscles with a syringe. For this purpose, they are dissolved in water beforehand. The substances contained in the substance enter the bloodstream directly when injected. Slamming is the riskiest way to consume substances. If you choose to consume intravenously or intramuscular, it is especially important that you be aware of safer use methods to keep serious health risks lower.
- When slamming, the effect is immediate and experienced as a very intense rush. As a result, there is a high risk of developing a dependency here, which can lead to serious psychological problems.
- Side effects and after-effects of substances can be more severe in slamming than in other forms of use.
- Overdoses occur more quickly with slamming/injecting than with other types of use. Therefore, make sure that you do not consume alone and that someone is with you who can provide or get help in an emergency.
- Usually, neither the concentration nor the quality of substances is known, the probability of emergencies is particularly high when injecting. Cut substances (e.g. with narcotics) can be life-threatening!
Preparation:
- Use your own utensils (including new needles and syringes, sterile water, new swabs, a clean spoon, vein tourniquet and filter)! Sharing injecting equipment transmits infections (e.g., HIV, hepatitis C) very quickly.
- It is important to pay attention to hygiene to avoid infections in the puncture site. You can do this by finding a space that is as clean as possible, washing your hands, and disinfecting the storage areas and injection site. Make sure your utensils are sterile. Use only packaged utensils.
- Water can also contain germs and transmit infections. It is therefore best to use sterile water to dissolve your substances (pharmacy). Alternatively, you can use still mineral water or boiled tap water. To kill germs, bacteria and other pathogens, the water must boil for at least three minutes.
- Make sure that all components of the drug are well dissolved. Injecting solid, not fully dissolved, particles will damage veins and can cause serious problems. Draw the solution through a techno-filter into the syringe to avoid injecting solid particles into your veins. Cigarette filters are not ideal because they release fine hairs, which can lead to pulmonary embolisms or infections in the heart.
When injecting into the veins:
Inject only into the veins, not into the arteries! To check this, pull the plunger back a little after injecting: If the blood is dark, you are right. If the drawn blood is bright and foamy and pushes into or past the syringe, you have hit an artery. Do not pull the trigger! This pressure does not give you relief, but only causes overwhelming pain and swelling of the limbs, often for several hours. Injecting into veins can cause injury and inflammation. Generally, long needles are easier on your veins. Inject toward the heart to help the vein heal better. Always use a new needle, otherwise they can bend and rupture your veins.
- Boil your substance with a small amount of ascorbic powder, as acids can cause inflammation and tissue death. Avoid boiling with natural lemon juice and concentrate, as these are a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria and can form cancer-promoting substances.
- Inject best into veins on the upper/forearm and back of the hand. Veins in the neck, chest, armpits and below the waist are close to the arteries, which is why the health risks are much higher in these places. Veins on fingers and feet are also rather unsuitable because they tear more quickly.
When injecting into the muscle:
- It is important that you use longer and thicker needles. If the wrong needle size is used, there is a risk that the needle will break as the muscle tightens during injection. If the needle breaks, you need immediate medical attention!
- Changing injection sites is important because it allows the previously used injection sites and veins to heal, preventing infections and abscesses.
After injecting:
- Press on the site with a tissue or swab to help it close. Refrain from using alcohol swabs, as this slows healing. Refrain from using alcohol swabs, as this slows healing.
- Dispose of needles directly (e.g., in containers or plastic bottles) so no one gets hurt from them. Injuries occur very quickly during re-capping (putting the protective cap back on the needle).
- Also pay attention to hygiene afterwards (wash your hands).
ANAL: Booty Bumping, boofing, up your bum
In booty bumping, substances dissolved in water are inserted anally with a syringe (without a needle!). The substances are absorbed through the anal mucosa. The effect of the substances hits much faster and stronger with booty bumping than with snorting or swallowing.
- The effect of the substances, as well as the probability of overdose, is significantly higher with booty bumping than with nasal and oral consumption.
- Booty bumping irritates the anal mucosa. Inflammation or bleeding is possible. You can prevent irritation somewhat by lubricating the anus from the inside beforehand. The anal mucosa will heal after a few days of abstinence. You can use vitamin E preparations (e.g. as oil) to support healing.
- After consumption, the likelihood of infection, especially with hepatitis during sex is increased. This is due to the injuries that occur in the intestinal mucosa during consumption.
- To avoid infections, determine your safer sex strategy beforehand.
- Pay attention to hygiene and use only sterile and your own utensils to avoid infections.
Consumption via the LUNGS: inhaling, smoking, vaporizing
Some substances can be consumed by inhaling the drug (e.g., poppers) or smoking (e.g., nicotine, cannabis, cocaine, crystal meth). Smoking involves heating the drug, which releases certain substances in the smoke. By inhaling the smoke, these substances enter the lungs and are absorbed into the bloodstream through the mucous membranes.
- Regular smoking can lead to respiratory diseases.
- When smoking nicotine or cannabis: activated carbon filters pollutants better than cellulose filters.
- Smoke cannabis through a vaporizer instead. This way, fewer carcinogenic substances reach your lungs. The active ingredients develop their maximum effect.
- Avoid inhaling too deeply, as psychoactive substances are effective even at low doses.
- Be careful not to burn your lips, as the pipe can get very hot when smoking crack and methamphetamines. Therefore, use (your own) mouthpiece.
- When inhaling so-called “sniffers” and solvents (e.g. nitrous oxide), make sure that they do not come into contact with your mucous membranes and skin, as they can be corrosive.
Sources:
Consulting services
Counselling on drugs & substance use
slamming
