Effects and risks of drugs

Drugs and schoolies

Drugs can alter the way your body functions and the way you feel. Alcohol, cocaine, ecstasy, GHB, LSD, heroin, inhalants, marijuana, and speed are among the many drugs around these days. There are no controls on what illegal drugs contain - you never really know what you're getting.

It may be tempting to try drugs during your schoolies holiday, but a range of reactions can be unexpected, unwelcome and in some cases, fatal.

No drug is completely safe.

Do drugs have the same effect on different people?

The effects of any drug vary from person to person. Things like the type of drug, who is taking it (gender, health status, age, weight, state of mind, experience with drugs), how much is used, how the drug is taken will all have an effect on a person's reaction to a drug. How dangerous a drug is also depends on the environment where the drug is used, e.g. whether you are alone, or are with others or at a party.

Reduce the risks

Being well informed about safer drug use is important. Of course it's safer not to try illegal drugs but if you use drugs there are ways to reduce the risks involved.

Nightclubs, raves and events can get very crowded and hot. Some drugs, such as ecstasy and speed, raise the body's temperature, while alcohol dehydrates the body.

Reduce overheating and dehydration

Take regular rests from dancing - use a chill-out space to rest or recover
Wear light, absorbent clothing
Always watch your drink to avoid drink spiking
'Sip don't skol' - sip half a litre of water an hour - don't skol it all at once

Keep safe

Drugs affect people in different ways for a whole range of reasons so don't assume a drug will affect you in the same way that it affects others. Remember, no drug use is safe but if you do use drugs there are some things you can do to reduce harms to yourself and others:

Plan ahead so you don't do anything that puts you in a risky situation
Don't mix drugs - mixing drugs with alcohol or another drug may cause serious side effects
Don't drive, swim or operate heavy machinery after taking drugs as there is an increased risk of harming yourself or others
Don't take all the drug at first - a little bit will let you see how it affects you
If you are having sex, use a condom to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections or an unwanted pregnancy.

Don't do it alone

Make sure someone else knows what you are taking in case you become sick or unconscious and need treatment.
Look after each other when using drugs and don't take drugs on your own - if things go wrong you'll need someone to get help
If someone collapses call an ambulance immediately, turn them onto their side to avoid choking and stay with them until the ambulance arrives - remember, you won't 'get in trouble' for having taken drugs - ambos don't call the police unless there has been a fatality or if people are violent or aggressive.

Use needles responsibly

If you're going to inject, obtain clean syringes from a chemist or a needle and syringe program (external link).
Never share a syringe or needle. Sharing needles may pass on infections such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B & C.
Dispose of bags, needles and syringes safely so others are not in danger of being injured

Make sure you are well informed about the effects of alcohol and other drugs before you experiment with them. Find out the effects of common drugs on the Australian Drug Foundation website (external link). Using friends for this information is not always a reliable or an informed source.

What to do in an emergency

If someone becomes ill, it is important to:

Call an ambulance (dial 000, anywhere in Australia) as fast as you can.
When it arrives tell the ambulance officer exactly what the ill person has been taking. The ambulance officer is interested in helping the ill person. They are not required to call the police unless they are feeling unsafe, there is evidence of criminal activity not relating to the drugs, or there has been a fatality.
If the person has collapsed while waiting for the ambulance, lay the person on their side in the recovery position to keep their airways open.
Try to keep the person cool, you can do this by using cold water or ice packs.

Drug use and the law

If you do use drugs (external link) during schoolies, you may end up dealing with the police. Types of offences you could face include use, possession and trafficking if you possess a 'trafficable quantity' of drugs. This is an amount that is stated in the law and is different for various types of drugs. Note trafficking includes sale or giving drugs away to friends. All of these offences attract serious penalties.

Our rights and responsibilities page has more information about dealing with the police.