⚠ High Priority
Never use alone
Opioid overdose can happen in minutes. Always have someone nearby. If you must use alone, call the Never Use Alone hotline: 1-800-484-3731 — a live person stays on the line.
⚠ High Priority
Test for fentanyl every time
Fentanyl is in virtually every supply. A small amount can cause overdose. Use fentanyl test strips before every use, even on substances you've used before.
⚡ Important
Start low, go slow
Tolerance drops fast — after even a few days. After any break (release from jail, hospital, or treatment), use much less than you used before. Overdose risk is highest here.
⚡ Important
Avoid mixing
Mixing opioids with alcohol, benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin), or other depressants dramatically increases overdose risk. Each drug slows breathing — together they can stop it.
✓ Safer Practice
Use sterile supplies
Never share syringes, cookers, cotton, or water. Syringe service programs (SSPs) provide free sterile supplies and are confidential.
✓ Safer Practice
Carry naloxone
Naloxone (Narcan) reverses opioid overdose. Get it free at many pharmacies, SSPs, and harm reduction organizations. Tell people you use with where it is.
⚠ High Priority
Cardiovascular risks
Stimulants raise heart rate and blood pressure significantly. If you have any heart conditions, be extra cautious. Chest pain or irregular heartbeat requires immediate medical attention.
⚡ Important
Sleep and nutrition
Stimulants suppress appetite and sleep drive. Long use without eating or sleeping can lead to dangerous crashes, psychosis, and immune suppression. Build in rest days.
⚡ Important
Mental health watch
Stimulant psychosis can resemble schizophrenia and can develop rapidly with heavy use or lack of sleep. Paranoia, racing thoughts, and hallucinations are signs to slow down or stop.
✓ Safer Practice
Hydrate — but not too much
Stay hydrated, especially if active or in heat. Electrolyte drinks can help. Avoid excessive water intake which can cause dangerous sodium imbalance.
⚠ High Priority
Don't quit cold turkey if dependent
Unlike most substances, alcohol withdrawal can be fatal. If you drink heavily every day and want to stop, talk to a doctor first. Symptoms include seizures and can begin within 8 hours of last drink.
⚡ Important
Eat before and during
Food slows alcohol absorption and reduces harm. Avoid drinking on an empty stomach. B vitamins (especially thiamine) help protect the brain during heavy drinking periods.
✓ Safer Practice
Alternate with water
Matching each alcoholic drink with water slows consumption, reduces dehydration, and helps you pace yourself. Designate a trusted sober person when going out.
✓ Safer Practice
Plan for getting home safe
Arrange transport before drinking. Alcohol impairs judgment about impairment. Have a designated driver or rideshare plan in place ahead of time.
⚡ Important
High-potency products
Modern cannabis (especially concentrates and edibles) can be far more potent than expected. Start with a very small amount. Edibles can take 1–2 hours to feel effects — don't redose too early.
⚡ Important
Mental health considerations
Cannabis can trigger or worsen anxiety, paranoia, and in rare cases psychosis — especially in people with a personal or family history of psychotic disorders. High-THC products carry more risk.
✓ Safer Practice
Reduce smoking harms
Vaporizing at lower temperatures or using edibles avoids many combustion-related respiratory harms. If you smoke, avoid holding smoke in — it doesn't increase effect but does increase harm.
✓ Safer Practice
Avoid driving
Cannabis impairs reaction time and judgment. Avoid driving for at least several hours after use. Impairment can be subtle and underestimated, especially with regular use.
⚠ High Priority
Dangerous to stop suddenly
Like alcohol, benzodiazepine withdrawal can cause fatal seizures. If you use regularly, never stop abruptly. Taper slowly, ideally with medical guidance. This is serious.
⚠ High Priority
Never mix with opioids or alcohol
The combination of benzos with opioids or alcohol is responsible for a huge percentage of overdose deaths. Both suppress the nervous system — together they can stop your breathing while you sleep.
⚡ Important
Street benzos are unpredictable
Illicit benzos (like pressed bars or powders) often contain novel designer benzodiazepines that are much more potent and longer-acting. Use fentanyl test strips — some also detect benzo adulterants.
✓ Safer Practice
Use in a safe environment
Benzos impair coordination and memory. Avoid using alone, near traffic, water, or at heights. Falls and accidents are a major risk.
⚡ Important
Set and setting matter enormously
Your mental state and physical environment profoundly shape psychedelic experiences. Choose a safe, comfortable environment with people you trust. Having a sober trip-sitter is strongly advised.
⚡ Important
Mental health contraindications
People with personal or family history of psychosis, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder face elevated risks. Psychedelics can trigger latent conditions. Approach with extra caution or avoid.
✓ Safer Practice
Test your substances
Use reagent test kits to verify what you have. Many substances are misrepresented. Fentanyl-laced psychedelics are rare but have been reported — use test strips as an extra precaution.
✓ Safer Practice
Avoid combining and plan for duration
Psychedelics can last 4–12+ hours. Clear your schedule, don't mix with other substances, and have benzodiazepines available as an emergency "exit ramp" if needed.