As most of you are probably well aware it helps to be extra prepared when partying. Sometimes though, this is a task that is hard for even the established ravers/party goers. One always tends to forget at least SOMETHING. This proves even harder for those of you that are new to the scene. Hence, we here at TRIP! are combining our years of partying expertise to try to provide you with the most comprehensive list possible for any and every situation. If you are a party goer make sure to:

• First and foremost, make sure to know where you are and where you are going. Bring directions, and phone numbers of promoters (or a friend in the loop) to call in case of a last minute venue change.
• Bring a phone, or enough change for the payphone as well as a list of numbers of both friends that will be there, promoters for any last minute event changes, and emergency contact numbers. All the preparedness with numbers won’t get you anywhere if you can’t call anybody!
• Bring a friend or make sure you are meeting someone you know and trust at the party!!
• HAVE A WAY HOME: make SURE to have a solid plan on how to transport back home (be sure to check nighttime bus schedules), have a PLAN B (friend’s house you can crash at just in case who lives closer to the vicinity of the party, cab fare if you live far etc). Last thing you want is to not check the bus schedule, realise there are no night buses on your route home, not have anywhere to crash or cab fare, and end up having to camp out until subways open in the morning!!
• Have emergency money JUST IN CASE. I know this is not always possible, and often isn’t a priority since you are already spending money on partying but even a bit can go a long way, from pitching on a cab, to coat check, to getting food and water when you are feeling sick (or just HOT).
  
• Although we try our best to provide these at parties, it is recommended that you guys think ahead and make sure to have safe harm reduction supplies. While some supplies might be hard to get through the door (i.e., straws depending on the venue) it is a good idea to come prepared with water, condoms/lube, CLEAN snorties, works, ear plugs and gum just in case.
• Also, be aware ahead of time whether the party you are attending will have Trip! outreach workers/volunteers and/or medics on site. When arriving at the event (especially freeteks and warehouse - type events) scope out the TRIP! booth and/or wandering volunteers (we do not always have a booth for outreach, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t at the party!) and/or medics.  Always good to know where to go in case of emergency.
• Although this should be the promoter’s job, if you are in an illegal venue make sure to check out the venue for fire exits in case of an emergency! Even if only one entry/exit is being used to reduce heat from the venue, be aware of other entry/exit options in case of emergency.
• Dress for the weather. Be prepared as our weather in Toronto is very sporadic. Also, if it is winter, and your all hot and sweaty from being inside the venue and dancing too long and come outside MAKE SURE to put on a sweater/jacket even if you don’t feel cold. This goes for anyone, but especially if you’ve been rolling on any stimulants that night as they would have you desensitised to the cold. Even during the summer though, bring a sweater or two, especially for outdoor events. Nighttime gets cold, and even if you don’t get cold through the night you can always be that prepared friendly stranger who can provide a bit of warmth to a fellow party goer.
• Last but not least, clean up after yourselves. Make sure to help keep our scene clean. If everyone does their part, nobody will have to do extra. If you see garbage lying around, be kind and dispose of it, your help is much appreciated. Bring a positive attitude, keep safe, and most importantly, HAVE FUN!!

Can you hear that sound? Leaves rustling in the trees, maples on the verge of turning orange,yellow and red, the earth slowly moving towards another season. There goes time slipping away from us like sand between our fingers. It's nature conspiring against us.

Whether this was the best or worst summer of your life, the longest or shortest vacation you've experienced, there's still time to make it unforgettable! Here's a list of events that have caught our attention so far:

SUMMER AID

Friday, August 27, 2010

Sunshine Park, 604 River Road West, Wasaga Beach

The Kool-aid dude drinking beer on the flyer is really cute, but that isn't the only reason you should go ! Wasage beach is a beautiful location and why not kick back with friends at the beach in between partying ( but don't go swimming intoxicated! ). The line up includes Ill Scarlet, Scratch from the Roots as well as DJ Barletta. 75$ for the weekend pass more info @ http://www.rockaskin.com/summeraid/

NINTENDO ALL STARS

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

Renegade Club, 1266 Queen St West

This party is being thrown a beloved TRIP volunteer and friend of ours, Mike. We love Mike! And we love it when people throw parties it Toronto. Come dress as your favourite Nintendo all-star and dance the night away to choons played by DJ S3RL ( Australia) and KandyKidAssasin (KS, USA). 20$ advance. 25$ at the door

BURNING MAN

Monday August 30th – September 6th Black Rock City , Nevada

The Burn...so close we can almost smell it! True that it is quite a while a way, but definitely worth the mission. This years theme is Metropolis and we are expecting some seriously fucking cool things, as usual. Simply explained: The Best Party on The Planet. More info @ http://www.burningman.com

HARVEST FESTIVAL

September 10th-12th Burk's Falls, Ontario

Harvest Festival is an annual two-night autumn festival celebrating the autumn equinox. At the hub is a huge bonfire, there are three sound stages featuring techno, downtempo and psy-trance and a kitchen cooking yummy things all night long. The festival is located on an expansive farm of rolling hills and valleys with some 97 massive sculptures, 4 large ponds, a castle home complete with turrets, and unusual farm animals like white doves, llamas, peacocks and geese wandering freely. And from the sky all the elements of the land link to form the shape of a 2km long dragon. It sounds awesome because it is. Three day pass 75$ More info @ http://www.harvestfestival.org/

Yes, another book about drugs. But don't turn away too quick, this one definetely has merit. Written in a persuasive journalistic manner, filled with facts, comparisons as well as anectodal insight, the story Oelwein, Iowa, is one that you will remember. A 6000 resident farming town destroyed by big agri business modernization is a story we've seen on a repeat for the past decade, but the emergence of meth production and addiction in Oelwein are what tie it so closely to globalization and a hurt relationship with the media.

Here are some interesting facts about meth:

-Even into the 1980s, methamphetamine was widely prescribed in the United States. Ads for “Methedrine brand Methamphetamine” appeared in women's magazines in the 1960's as cures for those who “eat or sleep too much”

-Labourers often used methamphetamine in order to work long hours, cure “laziness” and increases one's short them ability to concentrate. For these reasons it has been labelled “the most American drug”.

-In the 1970's pharmaceutical meth was called “browns and clears” when it was prescribed as an anti-depression drug.

-Rural Unite States has higher drug and alcohol abuse rates than urban areas. They have less services and resources to cope with it as well.

-Children who are exposed to meth are likely to have acute ashtma, sleeping problems, anxiety as well as weakened lungs and heart. They can become exposed in the womb or sometimes when their food is cooked in a microwave where meth has been heated.

-It was believed that if the import of ephedrine was strongly regulated than the home lab production of meth would severely increase. However, it was pharmaceutical companies that strongly lobbied against this.

If you want to whole deal, check out the novel by Nick Reding!

It is sometimes hard not to be overly critical of our bodies. Constant subliminal pressures from the media through mediums like television, movies and the internet make it hard for one to avoid the clutter of unhealthy messages.  But at what cost are these messages penetrating the mind of millions of women and men alike?

Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in both the US and Canada and eating disorders are part of the list. Eating disorders can be categorized in three sections:

Bulimia - characterized by recurrent binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting or laxatives.

Anorexia - characterized by refusal to maintain a healthybody weight, and an obsessive fear of gaining weight due to a distorted self image.

Binge Eating - characterized by of episodes of uncontrollable eating.

Keep in mind that you can suffer from more than one of these and that eating disorders can affect you at any time in your life. However, it is most likely to affect you in your youth and can be accompaniedby other mental disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression.

Sometimes having an eating disorder can lead youto using drugs as a means of controlling your weight. Heavy drug use accompanied by bad nutrition can have serious short and long term health effects including fatigue, anemia (lack of iron) and depression just to name afew. As well, there is the possibility that it can lead to addiction in orderto control the desired body weight.

The good news is that there is lots of help available! The first step is wanting to be healthy and gain control of your life again. For more info check out:

http://www.nedic.ca

Treatment options are available here, as well asthrough a trusted doctor.

July 16th @ SUBA Nightclub

$10 at the door

Do you remember where YOU were in July 1995?

Come celebrate and remember 15 years of Toronto party culture for the TRIP! Project's fifteenth anniversary! TRIP! is a youth-led project that has been providing harm reduction info and supplies to Toronto party people since 1995. TRIP! will be launching our new subway-themed poster featuring a wide variety of information on safer sex and drug use. This party will be bringing it back to the oldschool sound of the underground massive. So bring out your whistles, vicks, hugs and glowstix for this superpowered raveapalooza!

JEN MAS (Vitus, USA)
TYCO VS SCOOTS (Goodfellaz)
PAUL REVERED (Old School Warehouse Set!!!)
DJ VIRUS

Hosted by Gobz the Zombie aka MC Gobstopper

Free body painting, photobooth, and silkscreening, plus freezies to keep you cool!


TRIP! Booth in full effect!

PLURR


-=-=-

Be sure to join us for the after party on Saturday featuring a panel discussing 15 years of TRIP! featuring past coordinators, volunteers and active members of the community:

Free Community BBQ

July 17th, 2pm.

Location: Queen West Health Centre

168 Bathurst St, at Queen. (Across from the Big Bop RIP)

RSVP on Facebook!

That white stuff, that yellow stuff, that pinkish stuff, that brown stuff, that really rocky stuff, that orange thing my friend told me to stay away from, that orange thing my other other friend  told me was amazing. How do you make sense of it all when appearances, when it comes to drugs, more often than not can be quite deceiving? You may or may not have noticed that as of late there has been an increase in the preference of MDMA over ecstasy as a party drug in our scene. There is no one single explanation for this and any one that I would dare offer would be based out of on my own opinion. However, what I can say is that there are frequent shifts in certain drug use often happen and with these shifts come new concerns.

One concern surrounding MDMA, particularly in Toronto, has been with about the effects of what some have described as "brown MDMA" that looks oily and waxy as opposed to crushed up and crystaline or powdery. When purchased, the substance appears to be a small sticky lumps inside of a capsule. This is still MDMA, it however has not been processed as many times as to achieve that fine crushed appearance. This often means that there is less likely a chance of it being cut with other substances, however this may cause the drug to be extremely potent. According to some people, this brown substance hits harder than the "white MDMA" causing people to get too high, too fast and in some cases, unexpectedly. The come up has also been said to cause heavy nausea because of it's intensity which can may result in some needing to vomit or in more extreme cases losing the ability to function properly (i.e., beginning to convulse on the ground). Coupled with being at certain events like outdoor parties where it is hard to find somewhere to be comfortable and potentially harder to seek help, this has worried a number of individuals.

Because of its physical state it also becomes more difficult to ingest in smaller amounts, as  snorting this is not really an option. People often and up taking the whole capsule, which for some can may be way too strong. A method for taking it in doses can be to empty the capsule and mix it in with a bottle of water, or an anti-oxidant such as cranberry juice or a drink with electrolytes such as Poweraid, and then continuously taking swigs throughout the evening. This controls one’s intake of the substance. It may not taste the best but it can may make or break your night. When taking a substance, always start with a low dose to see how your body will react to it before you decide to take more. Never take more than what you would usually take when trying a new batch or drug.

So what can you do if you or a friend find yourselves too high and uncomfortable with where you're at physically and mentally?

The first thing you should try to do is relax. Take a few sips of water (or juice) and find somewhere comfortable to sit. If you're at an outdoor event try to take a look at your surroundings and make  sure that there are no immediate dangers. If so there are, try to move away from them! Try to stick with your friends so that someone is there to take care of you if you need help. If you or your friends begin to experience difficulty breathing or loss of consciousness, seek help immediately. People with high blood pressure or on MAOIs (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors) are not recommended to use MDMA.

KNOW YOUR MIND, KNOW YOUR BODY, KNOW YOUR SOURCE

(TRIP neither condemns nor condones the use of drugs)

TRIP! Project - 1 Outreach Worker Position

12 Month Contract (June 2010 to June 30, 2011)

Average 24 hrs/month; $11.00/hr

Position Description    

The TRIP! Project, a project of Central Toronto Community Health Centres (CTCHC), provides safer sex and safer drug use education, information, and supplies, as well as counseling and referrals, to Toronto’s diverse dance music communities.  Working closely with the TRIP! Project Coordinator, this position will be supported to provide peer-based harm reduction education onsite at dance music events (parties), and will support project volunteers to provide accurate information on harm reduction, HIV prevention and safer drug use to the dance community. This position will work within a broader Harm Reduction team, and be responsible to the Program Director or designate.

Specific Responsibilities

·       Provide an average of 24 hours/month of outreach services at dance music events in Toronto each month

·       Provide appropriately tailored and accurate information on harm reduction, HIV prevention and safer drug use to the dance music community

·       Conduct ‘Online Outreach’ on dance music community-based message forums

·       Support TRIP! volunteers to provide appropriately tailored and accurate information on harm reduction, HIV prevention and safer drug use

·       Attend monthly volunteer meetings, and meetings with the TRIP! Project Coordinator

·       Work collaboratively with the TRIP! Project Coordinator and other TRIP! Outreach Workers, and participate in the Harm Reduction team and the broader CTCHC as required.

Qualifications

·       An active participant of Toronto’s dance music community; strong knowledge of and comfort with party culture/raving, partygoers/ravers, and Toronto’s dance music communities

·       Strong knowledge of HIV, drug use, and related issues, as well as risk and harm reduction strategies

·       Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

·       Excellent ability to take initiative and work independently, while also working closely with the TRIP! Project Coordinator and other TRIP! Outreach Workers

·       Demonstrated ability to support peer volunteers in providing health promotional outreach services

·       Positive attitude towards a diverse community

·       Ability to work long night shifts on weekends

·       Ability to express and invest creativity and positive energy into an incredible youth project

We are particularly seeking applications from qualified members of the groups traditionally under-represented in the workplace and the dance music community.

Please email cover letter and resume by Monday May 19^th by noon to:

SUBJECT HEADING: Hiring Committee – Job #QW300,

EMAIL ADDRESS: hiring@ctchc.com

No phone calls please. We regret that only those we wish to interview will be contacted.