Regardless of what you use, you can always try to be as safe as possible

There is no typical story or journey when it comes to drugs and alcohol. Young people have different reasons for using drugs, different experiences and different goals and plans.

BUT - whether you are trying a drug for the first time, been using full-on for years, whether you smoke, swallow, inject or sniff, whether you use alcohol, heroin or the newest designer drug, there is one thing that should be common to everyone. You can always try to be as safe as you can when using.

There are general tips for staying safe and tips specific to different drugs.

Sometimes putting every bit of harm reduction advice into practice can be hard. For instance, getting a taxi home after drinking might be safer than walking home but if you have no money, this is hard. None-the-less the more aware you are of how to stay safe the more you can have some choice over your health.

Check out this video of tips for staying safe no matter what drug you are using or Talk to YoDAA if you want more personalised info or ideas about reducing the harm of your use or if you want info on agencies that specialise in supporting safer use.