Better Safe Than Sorry – Test Yo Drugs Kids!

Harm Minimisation For Ravers 101

**Disclaimer – This article DOES NOT condone the use of illicit substances in any shape or form. There are dangerous risks associated with consuming illegal drugs and this article only promotes harm minimisation**

Let’s face it. For a great portion of us, sometime in our lives it may reach to our desires to walk down the path of experimentation and try some of the modern Earth’s substances. From lovers of MDMA to LSD and for those cocaine fiends out there who run to the bathroom every 20-30 minutes, we cannot sugar-coat the truths of this world anymore…
It is natural to explore and experiment as you naturally desire psychedelic experiences and altered states of consciousness. In other words, whether it be regular or a one-off situation, it is not unusual for individuals to be experimenting with drug use, especially at music festivals. Music, socialising and not to mention, hours of physical exertion go hand-in-hand with the desire to not feel tired and transport your senses into a distanced dimension. (AKA as Showtek quotes, “Take some pills and go to la-la land”)

Ingesting a concoction of illegal substances and dancing like an autistic chicken for twelve hours straight accompanied by great music and your closest friends sounds like a fantastic day for many partygoers, but what if things go wrong…?

               **Miley Cyrus tripping balls, off her chops and in “la-la-land”**

Picture this – you have been saving your pennies for the majority of the winter months to live large during the summertime and it’s fantastic festivals. Along with your best friend, you are amongst the crowd at one festival that you were particularly excited about, however you feel as though you want to make this day especially memorable – you want to get fucked up.

You spot one of the many party-goers in the daytime who is walking around with zero equilibrium and ask him/her “Where do I get what you’re having?” They sell you two pills for say, 10 Euros and you are feeling the excitement crawling up upon you along with the swirling nervousness that you usually get before taking drugs. You look at the pills, they look like any others that you have taken before, however you have never taken this exact press/colour of pill before. Before you eat half, you ask the dealer if they are good and of course they say “Yeah, they’re fucking crazy.”

**Filthy ‘red superman’ pills responsible for deaths in The Netherlands**

Although you have never had these pills before and you have purchased them off a complete stranger, (possibly in a foreign country) you and your friend take half each. It is a little over one hour later and both you and your friend are not feeling anything, so you do what seems logical at the time and you start nibbling at the second pill, you take another half each.

Half an hour later the moment of glory has arrived and you feel the drugs finally kicking in.
You feel your feet and your head becoming lightened and your equilibrium starting to fade away as you sway slightly when you attempt to walk. Shortly after this small burst of energy and little amount of euphoria, you feel as though you’ve completely gone out of control, you don’t feel remotely ‘normal’.

You look at your friend and barely recognise them anymore and you know that this doesn’t feel like a normal MDMA high. You begin to start shaking and feel your face becoming flushed as well as losing control over your legs. You try to speak to your friend but all you can do is stand there as you see flashes of light rush before your eyes…

It’s as easy as that – you and your friend take a batch of nasty pills that have completely ass-raped you and have the ability to send you to the grave. The thing about taking chemically dangerous drugs is that they have no remorse and it really is the luck of the draw. It’s not unusual (especially in countries such as Australia and the USA) that ‘chemists’ want to make their drugs in the cheapest way possible by combining only tiny amount of MDMA (or sometimes no MDMA at all) with extremely dangerous and dose-sensitive chemicals such as PMMA/PMA, GHB, Ketamine and DXM.

Recently in The Netherlands, there have been reports on tourists dying from snorting what was sold to them as cocaine, but was actually white heroin. Although the two drugs look extremely similar to each other, they both have dramatically different effects. To add to this, this dealer probably had little to no idea that he was selling white heroin instead of cocaine. As you can see – most dealers are fucking retarded and should not be trusted with your life (white heroin is more expensive than cocaine, dah).

Those manufacturing ecstasy pills really don’t give a fuck about how many people that they harm, they want to make money and they want to make it fast. They don’t mind if they throw some 2cb in there and send you on an unexpected trip for 12 hours nor do they care if they use chemicals such as PMMA which is nowhere remotely near as enjoyable as taking MDMA.

So what’s the big idea?
We all know by now that taking drugs is an inevitable process that will be happening in society, whether we like it or not. Humans thrive on the good times that they enjoy with their friends and they thrive on enhancing these experiences with substances. A lot of festival-heads worst nightmare is not enjoying themselves at parties and not ‘lasting until the end’.

If you can score a rock of pure ‘Molly’ (MDMA) or some top-notch cocaine that will safely give you a high then be my guest, you eat that rock or even shove it up your ass if you want an extra kick. All shelving aside and to realities call, drugs should be enjoyed safely and with the smallest risk possible which is why we will run you through some harm minimisation to prepare you and your party buddies for the upcoming festival season! We have compiled a list of strategies to help you enjoy drugs in a safe way, without ending up in the back of an ambulance.

1. Test your drugs:
It’s better to be safe than sorry. A small number of festivals in Europe do offer services to have your drugs tested for free which is truly a great initiative for harm reduction. It can prevent damage and can give those peace of mind. In The Netherlands it is possible to drop off your substances for analysis at a Drug Information and Monitoring System (DIMS) office, and then check on the internet a couple of days later for results. Even if you buy off a dealer who is a close friend of yours, you should encourage them to test their batch of drugs before distributing them to others. If you want to test your drugs in the comfort of your own home or you want to have a drug testing kit handy, they are available on various online portals such as:

Dance safe: https://www.dancesafe.org/product/mecke-reagent-testing-kit/ EZ Test: https://www.eztest.com/

AZARIUS: https://azarius.net/lifestyle/drug_tests/ and https://ecstasypilltest.com/

**”What’s In My Baggie?”**

2. Try not to buy off strangers:
Just like your parents told you, don’t buy drugs off strangers (especially when crossing borders to festivals in different countries). The person who sells you these drugs doesn’t give a fuck about you, let alone know your name. If there is no other option then you should really test the drugs that you have purchased off somebody unfamiliar.

3. Do your research:
If you are trying drugs for the first time then research that shit! You should at least have a vague idea of what to expect and also the warning signs of encountering negative effects.

4. Keep an eye on your friends:
Friends are important, so keep an eye on them and embark on this journey together. Take care of your party buddies, make sure that they are always feeling good and staying hydrated. If you see that your friend is looking unwell or not responding to you then seek help from medical professionals.

5. Stay hydrated (But not too hydrated):
Make sure to keep your bodies hydrated, especially when dancing under the blazing sun! Drinking liquids with small amounts of sugar can be beneficial too such as juice and soft drinks and also having something small to eat (such as fruit or candy) will keep your blood sugar levels normal. Alcohol dehydrates you further, so try to avoid alcohol consumption whilst consuming drugs.

6. Know your limits:
Start off slowly and be mindful of how long drugs take to kick in. Don’t be impatient and take more if your pill hasn’t hit you in one hour. The onset of MDMA takes approximately 20 to 90 minutes and it differs across individuals. Onset time can also be dependent on other factors such as food intake and alcohol consumption so be patient and wait it out before you decide to take more. Other dangerous substances such as PMMA/PMA take a lot longer than MDMA to hit, causing individuals to not wait for it to hit, thus taking more than they need. There’s also nothing worse than seeing somebody so out-of-it and unable to remember their day or having to hold your friends hair back while he/she has a massive ‘chemi-spew’ in the middle of the crowd.

Chemi-spewing (throwing up whilst on drugs) can be your body’s way of excreting the substance and is also a warning sign to stop immediately. Be patient, know your limits and remember to take it slow and steady!

7. If you’re not feeling quite right:
Then seek professional medical immediately! If you notice that yourself or your friend is not looking well than always offer assistance and call medical help. If you also come across other partygoers who appear as though they are having a shitty time, you should always offer assistance and offer to take them to the medical tent. Medical tents at festivals are extremely helpful and are always in the best interest of your health. You will not get in trouble if you seek medical help!

 

**No, you’re fucked**

Many people are too scared what their parents will think or if they will get in trouble, however it is better for your parents to find out that you experimented with drugs than have to bury your dead body.
For first time users, MDMA’s come up can sometimes be slightly overwhelming as you have never experienced the effects before and if you feel as though it is a little too much to handle, sit down and chill out and have one of your friends keep a close eye on you.

Some dangerous signs to particularly look out for are:
• Uncomfortable increases in body temperature
• Unresponsiveness
• Headache
• Blurred vision
• Chest pain
• Dry mouth
• Nausea/ vomiting
• Abdominal cramping
• Urinary retention
• Sexual dysfunction
• High blood pressure
• Panic attacks
• Feeling faint
• Loss of consciousness
• Seizures
• Stiffening of muscles
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Paranoia

Drug use is inevitable wherever you go and within all genres of music. Whether you’re rocking out at a heavy metal concert, a techno party or a large scale music festival, there will be drugs but it is your responsibility to be wary and careful when consuming drugs.

Minimising harm is the way to go and if you do decide to use drugs then you should do it safely and always know exactly what you are taking! Many websites are available to read more about dangerous drugs that are circulating in your city/town.

Researching takes little effort but can have a hugely positive impact!

Pill Reports: https://www.pillreports.com/
**DO NOT trust reports on pills that have not conducted a chemical test**
Drugs Test NL: https://www.drugs-test.nl/
Bluelight: https://www.bluelight.org/vb/content/

 

Have fun, party safe and try not to end up like this dude!