These are some of the practical tips and topics that we spoke about at the meeting:

1. Keep informed on your drugs
2. Problem Indicators: is your drug use interfering with school, work, relationships, etc.
3. Self-care, before and after use
4. Some info about nutrition, use of multivitamins to keep healthy
5. 'try some first, then wait for a bit before choosing whether to do any more'; 'less is more

We can expand and build upon this theme with more tips, thoughts on what it means to take care of yourself and others if using substances.

 [copied from the drug wiki]

Safer Partying Tips

list of safer partying tips (responsible partying) for our new postcard

Intro paragraph on what it means to party 'safer'/more responsibly

- If not a parent, tell someone where you're going and a rough time of when you'll be back home

- Make sure to have some money (that you don't spend at the party) to get you home safe

- Make sure you've got money for your own water and you refill
the bottle often! Sharing water is a good way to pass on germs and
viruses

- Go with a friend! meet up somewhere before the party and head in together! you may want to leave with them, too.

- Keep on eye on your friends- it's always a good idea to look out for one another and keep each other safe!

- If you and your friends decide to dose, it may be a good idea
to choose the same drug to be on so you can all be on the same page
(it's also not a bad idea for one of you to stay sober)

- Meeting new people is always fun and easy to do at parties,
but leaving with strangers has its risks. if you decide to go somewhere
with people you just met at a party, ask if you can bring a friend. At
the very least let someone know who you're leaving with and where
you're going.

- Wear cool, comfortable clothes and shoes - getting over-heated and having sore feet sucks!

- Control your drugs (dose, substance, own straw, etc)

- Get your drugs beforehand from a reliable dealer and test them
out so you know how strong they are before taking too much at the
party.

- Find out as much as you can about your drugs before you take
them (ask other people who've done it, try them before, get them tested
if possible, etc.)

- When you get to the venue check out if there's a trip! table so you can pick up some condoms and other good stuff!

- You may want to find where the medics will be hanging out just in case you need them later

- If you hurt yourself or feel sick, doing more drugs will
likely only make the situation worse in the long run. If you think you
might need medical attention (even just a bandaid) visit the medic and
have him check you out- if you're high and having fun, you may not
notice that something is really wrong until it's in much worse
condition (ex. twisted ankle you keep dancing on all night)

- If you get tired, dizzy or start feeling sick, just take a
minute and sit down. Let your friends know where you're going to be so
they can find you if you fall asleep, pass out, K-hole, etc. throughout
the night.

- Bring some kind of snack along with you (granola bar, fruit,
nuts, etc.) in case you or a friend get hungry and aren't allowed out
of the venue without being able to get back in

- Keep track of your things (purse, money, id, clothes, jacket, etc.) and keep them with you if possible

- If you don't feel comfortable giving out your personal
information to strangers you meet at a party (phone#, e-mail address,
etc) you can get a purerave account and use that to keep in touch with
your new friends (not trying to advertise for pr, I just know
personally I'd MUCH rather give rave-strangers that than my phone# or
e-mail)

- bring a sweatshirt or something warm to wear over your rave clothes. Even in the summer, the early mornings can be chilly

- Use your own straw to help avoid Hep C and other nasty things

- Give trip! donations to ensure your safety :P

Conclusion

Do you believe in the existence of intelligent police officers? If not you may want to check out Damage Done - The Drug Odyssey, a documentary about LEAP, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. It airs tonight at 7pm on Global TV. Their story is both fascinating and inspiring and shows that you may just have allies in unlikely places. I'll be taping it!

Visit the Website

Watch the Trailer

Curious what came of that Ketamine Survey TRIP! conducted last year?

We're geared up present to you a snapshot of how we, as a community, are
identifying with Ketamine. This community discussion will include an
overview of the survey results, plus information like how Ketamine
works in the body and on the brain, K harm reduction tips, and
community brainstorms about how we can all work better with this
prevalent drug. We're bringing in our very favourite 'Dr. Tim' --
partyer and Medical Doctor extraordinaire -- to help run the show.
You'll have an opportunity to ask him any questions you may have around
Ketamine -- a rare chance for K users!

Who: Partyers, K users, kommunity members (sorry, no media!)

Where: Queen West Community Health Centre, 168 Bathurst Street

When: Tuesday April 17th, 7-9pm

For more info email: trip at tripproject.ca 

"Ah, drugs: the heady highs, the crippling lows, the preachy anti-drug commercials that exist somewhere in between. Together with Cops, anti-drug ads taught us the valuable lesson that drug addiction, if serious enough, will get you on national TV. And as Fear Factor has proven, the generation of men and women who grew up in the ‘80s will eat a horse’s penis to get on TV, so drug addiction doesn’t sound like such a bad option, now does it? Here are five classic anti-drug ads, our analysis of what they set out to do and the unintended consequences they actually had." - Cracked.com
Watch them here.

Check out this flash animation on how various drugs work in the brain, by selecting lab mice and dunking them in the brain machine! Fun, cute, and informative. Includes drugs such as Ecstasy and LSD. Created by the Genetics Dept. at University of Utah.
See it here.

In the coming months we'll be producing 3 new pieces of harm reduction information for partiers, and we'd like to have your input on which drugs and drug-related issues you would most like to see information about. Please take the 2 MINUTES it takes to fill in our quick and dirty drug info poll, and the top three drugs/drug issues with the most votes will be the subject of our new, upcoming literature for partyers.

Looks like Oxies are soaring in popularity these days.  Statistics coming from the United States report that recreational prescription drug use is surpassing even Marijuana use. OxyContin is the name brand for Oxycodone, a commonly prescribed, highly addictive analgestic medication.  On the street they are usually called Oxies, or sometimes Hilbilly Heroine, although I don't think people who use it would ever consider themselves Hilbillies. 

Last years HotDocs festival featured the documentary CottonLand, a stunning exposition on the increasingly higher rate of Oxy addiction in rural Cape Bretton.  This is definately a new trend that is sweeping across North America.  

Hola a todo,

elle.

FEb. 14, 2007

NEW YORK (CNN) -- We're fighting a war that is inflicting even greater casualties than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and, incredibly, costing even more money. We're losing the War on Drugs, and we've been in retreat for three decades.

That statement may come as a surprise to John Walters, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, who spent last week trumpeting the Bush administration's anti-drug policies. He claims these policies have led to a decline in drug abuse and improvements in our physical and mental health.

Read the full article here: CNN

Whether it's your fantasy or reality to engage in threesomes, foursomes, or moresomes, now you can find information on Safer Threesomes+ at TRIP! Our beautiful new booklet is off the press and at the TRIP booth. Look for it each weekend at events, or contact us directly for a copy.