9 – EAT CANNABIS
If you eat cannabis, either on its own or by mixing it with food or adding it to drinks, you’ll avoid damaging
your lungs. The effects from eating cannabis last longer (up to 12 hours), can be more intense, and are less
controllable compared to smoking cannabis. When cannabis is eaten, it can take up to a few hours before
it works, so avoid eating too much in one session. Always be careful and never give cannabis cookies to
someone who doesn’t know what they’re eating.
Artist: FRYD FRYDENDAHL
10 – AVOID INHALING DEEPLY
You don’t need to inhale deeply to get stoned. All the ‘good stuff’ is absorbed in the upper airways within
the first second or two. Holding your breath and sucking the smoke deep inside your lungs will just deposit
more tar and nasty stuff deep in your lungs – and for very little extra gain.
Artist: FRYD FRYDENDAHL
7 – HAVE BREAKS OF 3-4 WEEK
Smoking cannabis every day may cause problems in different areas of your life, and the negative effects can
begin to outweigh the reasons you started to smoke cannabis in the first place. Having breaks from cannabis
can remind you of what you miss and feel if you’re stoned all the time. It gives your brain and your lungs a
break. Your tolerance falls and you get to do loads of things without being stoned, which might be a good
thing (or even necessary), especially if you have exams or lots of things you need to sort out in relation to
your life in general. Some people experience unpleasant (side) effects when they use cannabis, including
anxiety, panic attacks or paranoia. Usually, these symptoms stop once the cannabis has worn off. If you
experience these symptoms more than a couple of times, you should think about not using cannabis. If you
have a mental health problem, cannabis can make your condition worse.
Artist: FRYD FRYDENDAHL
8 – CLEAN BOWLS AND BONGS REGULARLY
Cleaning bongs and pipes and changing bong water will remove tar and other impurities. Germs can linger
in pipes and bongs, and this may cause infections. Smoking through water does not make smoking safer.
The least risky way to smoke cannabis is by using cigarette paper and a small roach (non-printed/matt card)
or a pipe (both without the use of tobacco).
Artist: FRYD FRYDENDAHL
5 – AVOID USING DURING THE DAY
The first cannabis joint of the day will get you the most stoned. Using first thing in the morning leads to the
development of tolerance throughout the day and increases the risk of dependence. Leave your days free
from cannabis — you’ll get more stuff done and get stoned on less cannabis in the evenings.
Artist: FRYD FRYDENDAHL
6 – SET LIMITS ON AMOUNT USED
Since most drug related harms are dose related, setting a limit for how much you use might help keep your
use under control and reduce your risk of developing tolerance and other cannabis related harms. It also
means that you might get other stuff done. Don’t buy more than you need. You may think that you’ll save
some for tomorrow, but it’s not very likely to happen. The more you break up the pattern of use, the easier
it is to control your use of cannabis and reduce related risks.
Artist: FRYD FRYDENDAHL
3 – AVOID DRIVING AND CYCLING
Among other things, cannabis affects your perception, concentration, coordination and short-term memory.
Although many people who drive when they are stoned know they are stoned and therefore drive more
slowly, your reaction time and ability to respond to emergency situations are impaired. Research suggests
that you’re twice as likely to have a fatal road accident when you drive stoned. It’s also against the law in
most countries. Cycling might not be much safer. Hangover effects can last for 8 –12 hours. Walk or take a
bus and burn off the ‘munchie’ calories!
Artist: FRYD FRYDENDAHL
4 – GROW YOUR OWN
Growing your own cannabis means that you avoid contact with dealers, you can grow strains that suit
your tastes, and you know what you are smoking. An added bonus will be learning a bit about gardening.
BUT please remember, growing your own cannabis is often against the law so familiarize yourself with local
regulations.
Artist: FRYD FRYDENDAHL
1 – DON’T MIX WITH TOBACCO
Smoking cannabis mixed with tobacco will result in greater health risks than smoking either one alone.
Both cannabis and tobacco smoke cause respiratory problems and can increase the risk of cancer. Not
mixing cannabis with tobacco reduces the risk to your health. Importantly, it also reduces your chances of
becoming a regular tobacco smoker.
Artist: FRYD FRYDENDAHL
2 – USE VAPORIZER
Smoking cannabis is the most dangerous way of using it. Burning cannabis releases tar and cancer-causing
chemicals. Unlike a joint or a bong, a vaporiser heats cannabis to below its combustion temperature and
produces a vapour, releasing the THC while significantly reducing the smoke that contains tar and toxins.
Whilst the evidence is not conclusive, it is likely that vaporisers reduce the risk to your lungs. It is also likely
that some types of vaporisers are better than others in terms of protecting your health.
Artist: FRYD FRYDENDAHL
7 – AVOID BUYING ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AS PART OF ROUNDS
Buying collective rounds (i.e. a group of friends who take it in turns to buy drinks for the whole group) can
be expensive and it also means that you drink at another person’s pace, not your own. We know that buying
a round can be a good idea, but it should be on special occasions and not the norm.
Artist:
ZVEN BALSLEV
5 – ALTERNATE ALCOHOLIC DRINKS WITH WATER
Alternate non-alcoholic drinks with alcoholic drinks. That is, drink water between shots and beers. It reduces
dehydration (which is one of the major causes of hangovers) and it slows down your alcohol consumption.
It can also make your drinks and your money go further.
Artist:
ZVEN BALSLEV
3 – HAVE BREAKS OF AT LEAST 2 WEEKS SEVERAL TIMES EVERY YEAR
Make sure you take breaks where you do not drink anything alcoholic at all for at least 2 weeks each year,
especially after periods of heavier-than-normal drinking. Breaks from drinking can remind you that you
don’t have to drink to have fun. You might lose a bit of weight, and it may also give you a chance to find out
if your drinking affects your physical and/or mental health. If you stop and then find that people say you look
better, and you also feel better, it may be something to take note of.
Artist:
ZVEN BALSLEV
6 – CHOOSE BEVERAGES WITH LOWER ALCOHOL CONTENT
Choose beers/ciders/wines/spirits with lower levels of alcohol. This will allow you to stay drinking over the
course of a session without getting drunk very quickly. Lower alcohol content drinks can also help reduce
your overall alcohol and calorie intake, lower the risk of a hangover and in some countries, they are also
cheaper than higher alcohol content drinks.
Artist:
ZVEN BALSLEV
4 – STICK TO SAFE DRINKING LIMITS
Keep your drinking within your country’s recommended safer drinking limits. It seems as if many people
either ignore these or are simply not aware of them. Avoiding heavy drinking is the most important thing
you can do to reduce the risk of acute harm, while regular excessive consumption will damage your liver
and other organs. People who end up in Emergency Rooms, who regret everything that happened the night
before, who sleep with someone they wish they had not, or who get into fights or arguments, have almost
always had a lot to drink.
Artist:
ZVEN BALSLEV
1 – HAVE 2 ALCOHOL FREE DAYS PER WEEK
There are a number of reasons why you should consider doing this. It gives your liver a rest, it gives your
body a rest, and it saves you calories and money. Setting down some boundaries will help you develop a
bit of self-control. Obviously, if you’re drinking a bottle of wine the remaining 5 days of the week, you’re still
going to run into serious alcohol-related harm.
Artist:
ZVEN BALSLEV
2 – EAT BEFORE DRINKING
Make sure eat before you start a drinking session, though having food in your stomach will not protect you
from the harm a heavy drinking session will cause. Food does not reduce alcohol absorption, but it does
slow it down. In other words, you will get drunk less quickly. Food lines your stomach, which reduces the
risk of gastritis and vomiting.
Artist:
ZVEN BALSLEV
7 – AVOID OTHER DRUGS AND ALCOHOL BEFORE USE
Make sure that you have no other drugs or alcohol in your system before trying a new drug for the first time.
The risk of having a bad time on drugs increases if you use lots of different drugs or add alcohol. Experience
will teach people to mix substances with less risk. But when you don’t know anything about the drug, you
won’t know what mixing it with other drugs or alcohol will do. You also won’t be able to judge what the effect
of the new drug is if you’re already intoxicated.
Artist:
ROGER BALLEN
5 – TRY IT IN A SAFE PLACE
Home sweet home. Because new drugs can be unpredictable and on occasion, they can leave you confu-
sed, agitated or even unable to move or speak, make sure you’re somewhere safe and familiar. Even walking
downstairs or along the kerb can be tricky on some drugs. In fact, staying in your house (or somewhere
equally familiar) seems to be the safest place to try a new drug—as long as there is someone with you.
Artist:
ROGER BALLEN
6 – TELL SOMEONE WHAT YOU HAVE TAKEN
Don’t be shy. Telling someone what you think you have taken when using a new drug for the first time means
that they can look after you or get help if you run into trouble.
Artist:
ROGER BALLEN
3 – GET ADVICE FROM TRUSTED PRIOR USER
Talk to someone you trust who has taken the drug before to get advice on dose/effect and route of use
before you first take it for the first time. We know that the most trustworthy source of drug information out
there comes in the shape of friends. So talk to people. Get information about the right dose to start off with, how to take it, what to expect and how long you can expect to feel intoxicated for.
Artist:
ROGER BALLEN
4 – RESEARCH DRUG ONLINE
Knowledge is power. If you cannot find anyone you know who has used the drug before —ask yourself why?
Do you really want to be the first one to try it? Go on-line — crossreference several sources online (erowid,
bluelight, drugs-forum, wiki, Pub-Med) to learn about dose, route, effect and the risks of a new drug – before you try it.
Artist:
ROGER BALLEN
1 – TAKE A TEST DOSE
How to deal with a lack of quality control? Knowing how strong your drug is can help you adjust your dose
so hopefully you get the effect you want. Take a ‘test dose’ by taking a quarter of a pill or a tiny fraction of
the assumed dose and wait at least 60–90 minutes before taking another dose. Unknown drugs vary widely
in potency, time to onset of effect and duration of action, so you need to be super careful when starting
out with something new or unknown. If you’re with friends, don’t all take a new drug for the first time at the
same time — find a willing ‘guinea pig’ and keep an on eye on him/her for an hour or two before the rest of
you dive in.
Artist:
ROGER BALLEN
2 – NO ALCOHOL/OTHER DRUGS IN SYSTEM
Avoid taking other drugs or alcohol in the hours following your first try-out of a new drug. The effects of mi-
xing substances and the possible harms exist regardless of whether you drink alcohol or take drugs before
or afterwards. The first time you try a new drug is like test driving a new car, you don’t know how to handle
it, so don’t get intoxicated on something else. There’s always next week to experiment!
Artist:
ROGER BALLEN
13 – FINELY CHOP POWDER
Finer powders go further (maybe). Finely grinding/chopping up your cocaine, may allow for better interacti-
on with the nasal lining, better dose management, easier snorting action, reduced waste and nasal damage.
It might also make your drugs last longer. Many people seem to consider this an important strategy. GDS is
not completely convinced by the evidence and whether it actually reduces nasal damage – but this is what
thousands of people told us.
Artist:
STATHIS TSEMBERLIDIS
11 – USE FOR LESS THAN 2 DAYS IN A ROW
People can build up a cocaine tolerance very quickly. After using for a day or two, you’ve probably emp-
tied your brain of most of the neurotransmitters you need to get a good high. Continued use just leads
to less of a buzz and more unwanted effects. Going without sleep for more than one night will also delay
your recovery.
Artist:
STATHIS TSEMBERLIDIS
12 – USE OWN STRAW/TUBE/NOTE
Snorting crystalline white powders can damage the lining of your nose. Sometimes that leads to nose
bleeds. Sharing straws with others, you run the risk of transmitting blood borne viruses like hepatitis C.
So use your own straw and avoid exposure to viruses. Avoid bank notes because they are dirty and they can
transmit other infections. If you’re searched by the police, carrying money with substance traces is probably
not the best idea either.
Artist:
STATHIS TSEMBERLIDIS
9 – DRINK LESS THAN 6 UNITS OF ALCOHOL
Alcohol dehydrates your body and increases the risk of overheating and violent behaviour as well as suffering
heart problems and memory loss. Cocaine tends to counteract some of the desirable effects of alcohol, so
not only are you kind of wasting your money if you drink lots, but doing the two together also tends to incre-
ase your consumption of both substances, which makes the night more expensive. And mixing cocaine with
alcohol creates something called cocaethylene, which is particularly bad for the heart.
Artist:
STATHIS TSEMBERLIDIS
10 – CLEAN NOSE AFTER USE
All stimulant drugs (like cocaine, amphetamine and mephedrone) work in much the same way. They all cau-
se the release of chemical transmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. As they draw from the same source,
using more than one will lead to more rapid exhaustion. Combined use also seems to lead to an increased
risk of unwanted stimulant effects such as palpitations, panic and aggression. Oddly enough, many users
say cocaine reduces the buzz from MDMA—which is probably why most users avoid cocaine with MDMA.
Artist:
STATHIS TSEMBERLIDIS
7 – TAKE A BREAK FROM PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Two of the most avoidable risks from cocaine are overheating and dehydration. Cocaine raises your pulse,
blood pressure and body temperature. Combined with increased levels of physical exertion, such as dancing,
this can lead to a dangerous increase in your body temperature, especially in hot environments. Nightclubs
can be hot places and dance floors often have really bad ventilation. Taking a break from dancing and getting
off the dance floor for 10 minutes every hour or two will help you avoid overheating.
Artist:
STATHIS TSEMBERLIDIS
8 – AVOID OTHER STIMULANTS
All stimulant drugs (like cocaine, amphetamine and mephedrone) work in much the same way. They all cau-
se the release of chemical transmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. As they draw from the same source,
using more than one will lead to more rapid exhaustion. Combined use also seems to lead to an increased
risk of unwanted stimulant effects such as palpitations, panic and aggression. Oddly enough, many users
say cocaine reduces the buzz from MDMA—which is probably why most users avoid cocaine with MDMA.
Artist:
STATHIS TSEMBERLIDIS
5 – REGULAR SLEEP AFTER USE
Sleep lets your brain catch up and process all the stuff that has been going on. Sleep gives your brain and
body time to recover. Several days of not sleeping will worsen your comedown, increase the risk of work
related accidents, of being unable to concentrate when you need to, and it can delay your recovery (getting
back to feeling like yourself again).
Artist:
STATHIS TSEMBERLIDIS
6 – EAT PROPERLY
Food provides your body with the building blocks it needs to recreate the chemical transmitters your
cocaine session has just blown. Bananas, chocolate, kiwi fruit, nuts, honey, marmite, turkey, multivitamins,
milk or juice, are all good recovery foods.
Artist:
STATHIS TSEMBERLIDIS
3 – TEST DOSE FROM NEW BATCH
Cocaine purity varies — buyers beware! Because illicit preparations vary in potency and precise composition,
you are safest checking each new batch by taking a small ‘test’ dose and waiting at least 30–60 minutes before
re-dosing. Knowing how strong your drug is can help you adjust your doses so you hopefully get the effect
you want while minimizing the risks of harm.
Artist:
STATHIS TSEMBERLIDIS
4 – AVOID USING WHEN DEPRESSED/ANXIOUS
Cocaine will tend to worsen whatever state you are in when you take it. Taking a stimulant drug like cocaine,
which empties your brain cell of chemical transmitters like serotonin and dopamine, will only make you
more depressed. If you are on antidepressants, best avoid cocaine altogether. Not only will it work against
the effects of the medication, your comedowns will be far worse.
Artist:
STATHIS TSEMBERLIDIS
1 – STAY WELL HYDRATED
If you dehydrate, your body loses the ability to sweat. If you can’t sweat you lose one of the major ways of
reducing your body temperature. Take a break from physical exertion, cool off and drink non-alcoholic drinks
(but not energy drinks!) to avoid dehydrating and collapsing.
Artist: STATHIS TSEMBERLIDIS
2 – SET LIMIT ON AMOUNT USED
If you don’t use too much too often, you can avoid developing substance tolerance, and you’ll give your
brain a chance to recover between sessions, allowing you to enjoy your drugs when you do use them.
Higher doses tend to cause more unwanted effects and the comedown is worse. It also costs more. Less is
more, as they say.
Artist:
STATHIS TSEMBERLIDIS
