4 search results for 'ketamine powder'

Sold as a grainy white or light brown powder. Looks similar to cocaine but is a very different drug.


Ketamine

If this is your first time moving away from home then there’s a whole host of new and exciting experiences ahead. Whether you’re moving from a tiny village or another city, being safe in a new environment is really important. This might be the first time you’ve had the chance to go clubbing or out to gigs and parties, so it’s important to follow some basic tips to be safe but still have a great time.Get to know your areaAn unfamiliar town or city will mean a whole new way of navigating your way around. From walking to taxis to buses and even trams, working out how to get from A to B is a must, particularly if you go out at night. If you’re out with friends, make sure you stick together as a group and plan your way home in advance. It sounds like a no-brainer but when you add alcohol and/or drugs into a night out then getting home can be quite a challenge if you don’t know how to get back. Never walk home alone and make sure you have a taxi app downloaded but ideally have enough cash on you so you can flag down a cab too. If you must walk, make sure you avoid unlit, quiet areas like alleyways or parks.Most importantly, try not to get separated from your friends and plan ahead for what to do if you do find yourself alone. Arrange an emergency meeting point or use apps like WhatsApp or Life360 to share your location with friends.Which brings us to..alcoholIf you&#39;re heading out for the night and you plan to drink, there are a couple of simple things you can do to stay in control and ensure you have a great time.Have a meal before you go out and grab some snacks between drinks. This helps to slow down the absorption of alcohol, helping you stay in control Sip a glass of water between drinks to stay hydrated and slow down your alcohol consumption over the course of the night – or even better, switch between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinksConsider non alcoholic options - there are a lot of refreshing and tasty zero alcohol or very low alcohol content drinks on the market now. If you are heading round to a friend’s for pre-drinks or pre’s, try and avoid drinking too much too quickly as this can really have an impact later on in the evening. You may even find that your night ends early if you’re not permitted entrance to a club for being too drunk.Never leave your drink unattended or accept a drink from someone you don’t know - there could be a chance that it’s been spiked. Spiking someone’s drink is a serious crime and should be reported immediately. Although you may think spiking is something primarily targeted at women, everyone should keep a watch out as it can happen to anyone. You’ll know if a friend has been spiked as they may say they feel sick, be confused, start acting in an unusual way, seem drunker than expected, have visual issues, a loss of balance or start to vomit.Read our Spiking - How to Stay Safe on a Night Out to find out more.‘Recreational’ drug use There are lots of reasons why people take drugs and if you’re at Uni or college, you may hear about or be around people who are taking drugs like MDMA/Ecstasy, Ketamine, Cocaine or Nos. These kinds of drugs are often called ‘recreational’ but this doesn’t mean they are for recreation or recommended.For example, ketamine is actually a powerful anaesthetic. It is sold as a grainy white or light brown powder that may look similar to cocaine but is a very different drug and acts on your body and mind in a very different way.If you’ve not taken drugs before then there’s no reason to start, but if you are thinking of trying something then make sure you understand the risks. Mixing alcohol with any drug will always increase the risk. And if you then go on to mix other drugs then there are a number of different effects you may experience on your body and mind.If you are concerned about the effects of mixing drugs (including alcohol) our mixing tool can help you find out the effects of mixing drugs together. You can find this on any drug page under the risks section. The lawIt is illegal to consume, produce, supply or possess most recreational drugs and psychoactive substances in the UK. If you’re an international student or moved to the UK from another country for work, the laws around drugs in the UK may be different to what you’re used to at home. The penalties if you are caught can be significant and may have an impact on your life in the future. Getting help with drug or alcohol useYour doctor is a good place to start if you’re looking for support. They can help to refer you to more specialist drug and alcohol services or go to FRANK to get help to find support near you that provides counselling and treatment in England. If you’re not ready to speak to a medical professional or specialist service, you can talk to an advisor at your Student Union or Welfare Officer who can offer you confidential and impartial advice.If you’re worried about anything to do with drugs or alcohol and want to talk to FRANK in confidence about yourself or about a friend, then you can call the helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0300 123 6600 or you can chat online between 2pm and 6pm every day.

Freshers week: how to be safe and still have a good time away from home

It’s festival season again. As well as having fun, dancing and being with friends, festivals are places where our inhibitions and ‘safer’ choices can go out the window. The sense of freedom that festivals create can be amazing but there can also be temptation and maybe even pressure to drink more than you would or to take drugs. The fact that more drugs are being ‘cut’ with more dangerous things now means it is more important than ever to stay safe.
You may not always know what someone has taken, especially as drugs often aren’t what dealers say. Dangerous drugs like synthetic opioids, which can cause overdoses, have been found added to some other drugs recently. It’s really important that anyone whose breathing has stopped or slowed gets medical help right away as this could save their life. Check the ‘Health and safety’ section of the festival’s website or app to know where the paramedics post and other safety measures are located. This may include locations for the opioid overdose antidote, naloxone. 
Tips to stay safeAlternate alcoholic drinks with soft drinks or water - being a bit tipsy is more fun than getting blind drunk and throwing up.If you are drinking for longer than you’re used to, try to stick to drinks with a lower alcohol content like lager or beer rather than spirits. Avoid mixing drinks or mixing drink with drugs. It’s harder to keep track of what you’re taking and, when you combine things, you can either multiply the harmful effects or add new ones.Drinks - alcoholic or otherwise - are the most common way to spike someone so don’t leave your drink unattended or accept a drink from someone you don’t know.Alcohol and drugs can alter how you make decisions - you should never feel pressured into doing anything you aren’t comfortable with. Even at festivals, most people aren’t taking drugs so don’t feel you have to take them to fit in.Remember that your tolerance levels could be very different to your friends so take it easy and don’t try to keep up with others. Taking illegal drugs is always risky – you can’t know for sure what’s in them or how strong they are. Some drugs, like ecstasy, can also take over an hour to kick in so taking a whole pill in one go or taking more before you know the effect of what you’ve already taken makes it more likely you’ll have a bad experience. Make sure you and your friends all know what anyone has taken and look after each other. It’s important that anyone who’s had ecstasy or MDMA takes regular breaks from activities, like dancing, to cool down. They should keep hydrated by sipping no more than a pint of water or non-alcoholic drink every hour.It’s easy to get lost in a crowd and feel overwhelmed so try to stick together if you can. If you or anyone else starts to feel unwell, help them get medical attention or visit the welfare team. Most festivals have a team of people who are there to check on your welfare. Find out where welfare is located when you arrive on site so you know where to go if you start to feel a bit strange or just want somebody to talk to.If you are driving back, bear in mind that alcohol and some drugs can continue to impair your driving after you stop feeling drunk or high. Stop drinking early the night before. Some drugs can also stay in your system for days at levels that make it illegal to drive.If you or someone you are with becomes unconscious or unresponsive, put them on their side in the recovery position and find immediate medical attention by alerting a steward or member of event staff.You should always be honest with any doctor, nurse, paramedic or welfare team about what you think you or someone you’re with has taken so they know how best to help. In most circumstances, health and welfare professionals will not inform the Police about what you share with them.The lawThe UK law at festivals is no different to anywhere else. Drugs are illegal and if you’re found in possession of illegal drugs on site you will be ejected from the festival site and/or arrested. All festivals have strict security measures in place which can include full searches on arrival and drug detection or ‘sniffer’ dogs. For larger events, the police sometimes search people before they arrive on site, at train stations or other stop off points.

The Frank guide to festivals 

What does spiking mean?
To spike a drink means to put alcohol or drugs into
someone&#39;s drink without their knowledge or permission. This might be with the intention to
incapacitate someone enough to rob or even sexually assault them. Although sometimes
spiking can be intended as a joke, it&#39;s a very bad joke that is both dangerous and illegal.There is also some concern at the possibility that people
are being ‘spiked’ by needles/syringes containing drugs. Although this is much
less likely than drink spiking, a lot of the advice for staying safe from spiking a drink can
also protect you from the possibility of needle spiking too. Spiking is a criminal offence and whilst all venues should be taking steps to ensure they are safe places to be, you may still need to protect yourself, particularly if you feel at risk or you&#39;re in a place that is unfamiliar.How to stay safePlan your night out, including your journey there and back.Make sure the venue you are going to is licensed – venues are required to take steps to ensure the safety of their customers. When going to a pub, club or party avoid going alone. Friends can look out for one another.Be aware of what’s going on around you and keep away from situations you don’t feel comfortable with.Think very carefully about whether you should leave a pub, club or party with someone you’ve just met.Make sure your mobile phone has plenty of charge in it before you leave home and keep your mobile safe and accessible.How to avoid drink spiking Always buy your own drink and watch it being poured.     Don&#39;t accept drinks from strangers.Never leave your drink unattended while you dance or go to the toilet.Don&#39;t drink or taste anyone else&#39;s drink.Throw your drink away if you think it tastes strange or different.What to do if you think you&#39;ve been spiked (by drink or
needle)If you start to feel strange, sick or drunk when you know that you couldn’t be drunk, get help from a trusted friend or the venue management.If you think you may have been spiked, ask a close friend to get you out of the venue or party as soon as possible and either take you home or to hospital (if seriously unwell). You could also ring a friend, relative or partner and ask them to come and pick you up.If you feel unsafe, vulnerable or threatened you can ask for help by approaching venue staff and asking for ‘Angela’. This is a coded-phrase that indicates you need help and a trained member of staff will support and assist you. You can also ask for &#39;Angela&#39; if you are in any situation where you feel threatened or at risk.Make sure you can trust the person you ask for help. Don’t go anywhere with a stranger or someone you don&#39;t know very well.Once you are safely home ask someone to stay with you until the effects of the drug have worn off - this might take several hours.Don’t hesitate to call for medical help if you need it - it&#39;s always better to get checked out.Tell the police what has happened as soon as you can - we know it can be scary to do this but the police are there to help you and will listen. Call 999 or 101 - the police need to know as much as they can about spiking so they can help to stop this happening in the future.If you have been sexually assaulted, you can contact a sexual assault referral
centre for support – find your nearest centre on the NHS
website.The lawThe Sexual Offences Act 2003 states that it is an offence to administer a substance, to a person with intent to overpower that person to enable sexual activity with them. It is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. This means that slipping alcohol or drugs into someone’s drink is against the law, even if the drink is not consumed or the person is not harmed. The same would be true of needle spiking which would also be a physical assault.If you’ve been affected by crime and you need confidential support or information, you can also call Victim Support on 0808 168 9111.

4 search results for 'ketamine powder'

Ketamine

Freshers week: how to be safe and still have a good time away from home

The Frank guide to festivals

Spiking – how to protect yourself on a night out