Substance misuse

Introduction

A lot of young people try drugs and alcohol. Taking any drug carries risks and the safest use is not to use at all. However, if you or someone you know is using drugs and/or alcohol then bear this in mind:

All drug and alcohol experiences are affected by the way you are feeling – so don’t take them if you feel ill, depressed or anxious.
Don’t use alone or in a place where you won’t be found if things go wrong.
Avoid using where accidents are more likely to happen
Mixing drugs (including alcohol) is very dangerous – The effects can be very unpredictable.
Eat a good meal a few hours before you go out
Expect to feel rough for the next day or so.
Drug use is illegal and can carry severe penalties. They might not affect you immediately but if you get a police record it will restrict the countries that you might want to visit and it may also restrict your employment choices.
Using illegal drugs can change your friendship circles – you might end up hanging around with people you wouldn’t normally want to be with.
Do - know what you’re drinking and how much alcohol is in it.
Do - space out alcoholic drinks with soft drinks.
Remember – If you’re smaller than your friends alcohol will have a bigger effect on you so don’t try to keep up with them.
If you’re a girl you’ll probably feel about the same effect as boys after drinking a third less… so don’t try to keep up with them either!
Do - make your own choices – don’t let pressure from other people do it for you.
Do - have a good time – you don’t need to be out of your head to do that.

Substances

To be honest there are lots of good substance misuse sites and rather than repeat all the stuff here, we suggest you try:

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