Well, the 2020 festival season is cancelled. 

But will that stop true party animals from doing their thing? Probably not. While it’s important to take necessary precautions to avoid contracting or spreading COVID-19, it’s equally important to remember a few things that won’t disappear with the rise of coronavirus: No one is invincible, it’s still flu season and partiers should keep these harm reduction tips in their back pockets for when festival season comes again. 

Full disclaimer: No one can be 100% safe when taking drugs. Whether it’s during the session or something more long term, there’s always an inherent risk. But that doesn’t mean people can’t take precautions. This is where proper harm reduction, a practice that recognizes humans will inevitably engage in risky behavior, comes into play. 

“Harm reduction seeks to meet people where [they’re] at with their chosen health behaviors and to offer interventions to mitigate potential risks based off of their personal decisions [and] what they choose to do with their own body,” said Kristin Karas, director of operations at DanceSafe, a public health non-profit that promotes health and safety within the electronic music and nightlife community. 

Here are a few harm reduction tips for some popular drugs in the party scene. Whether you partake or not, take a look. It never hurts to learn.

You know, for a friend. 

MDMA 

Also Known As

• Molly or ecstacy

Health Risks

• Short term risks: Heat stroke and hyponatremia, a condition caused by drinking too much water causing blood sodium levels to drop too low. MDMA increases water retention, so drinking too much water can cause hyponatremia. 
• Long term risks: Building a tolerance to MDMA’s effects and exacerbated symptoms of depression. Lab studies have shown taking too much too frequently causes neurotoxicity in rodents, but there have been no studies to investigate this outcome in humans. 

Before the sesh

• Make sure it’s actually MDMA using a reagent test kit. Test kits determine what substances are in drugs using a solution that changes color depending on what it interacts with. Generally, this is done by scraping off a small sample of the substance, dropping the test liquid onto the powder and observing the results. 
• Vitamin supplements can counteract some of MDMA’s side effects. Magnesium can help with jaw clenching and there’s evidence that suggests alpha-lipoic acid and vitamin C help with neuroprotection. 
• Consider not using MDMA if you take prescription medication or have any pre-existing health conditions. 

During the sesh 

• Don’t take too much. Remember, you can always take more but you can’t take less once you’ve already taken it. According to Rollsafe.org, an MDMA education website, here’s a good rule of thumb for dosage: Your weight in kilograms plus 50 amounts to the number of milligrams of MDMA you should take to experience maximum positive effects while decreasing negative effects. 
• Stay hydrated by drinking water, but be cautious of drinking too much. Electrolyte drinks such as Gatorade are a good choice as well. 
• Take frequent breaks from dancing or any activity that increases temperature and heart rate. “Often there are misnomers in headlines surrounding MDMA. You’ll see things about overdoses. These are actually cases of heatstroke that have taken place on MDMA. It has to do with the fact that an individual’s body temperature was not being regulated,” Karas said. 
• Avoid drinking alcohol while taking MDMA. 
• Know the symptoms of heat stroke and watch for them in your friends who are also taking MDMA.

After the sesh 

• Vitamin supplements may reduce the effects of MDMA comedown too. 5-HTP is popular for this. 
• Try to wait at least 5-6 weeks between sessions, but 3 months or longer is preferred to reduce the chance of long term health risks. 

Cocaine 

Also Known As

•  Coke or blow 

Health Risks

• Cocaine’s potential for addiction is moderate to high, so it’s extremely important to pay attention to the individual’s frequency of use. 
• High doses or frequent use can cause heart attacks, strokes or aneurysms by damaging the heart and blood vessels. 
• If users are snorting cocaine, they can possibly transmit and contract diseases like Hepatitis C if they share a snorting device. 

Before the sesh 

• There’s been reports of people dying after using cocaine laced with fentanyl. Karas said drugs laced with fentanyl are more common in opioids such as heroin, but it doesn’t hurt to test cocaine using fentanyl test strips. 

During the sesh

• Avoid drinking alcohol and using marijuana or other drugs at the same time as using cocaine.
• Use your own snorting device. 
• Know the signs of cocaine overdose. These can include difficulty breathing, seizures, unconsciousness, vomiting or pale or blue face. 

After the sesh 

• Cocaine in particular can have unpleasant after-effects. People might be tempted to use more frequently to avoid them, so it’s important to pay close attention to the frequency of use. 

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide 

Also Known As

• LSD or acid 

Health Risks

• It’s important to test LSD using a test kit because it might actually be a compound called NBOMe, which has been linked to a few deaths. 
• Anyone who has schizophrenic relatives should avoid taking LSD.

Before the sesh 

• Use an Erlich’s reagent test kit. 
• Pick the people and the location for the session carefully, as any feelings of discomfort can be magnified when taking psychedelics. 
• Understand that psychedelics should be treated with respect. 
• Wait until you’re in a good mindset to take LSD. Any negative emotions can become overwhelming during an LSD trip. 

During the sesh 

• Consider having a “trip sitter” you trust in case the experience starts to go sideways. 
• If you’re having a bad trip, remember it’s the effects of the drug and not necessarily just you. Move to a different location where you’ll feel more comfortable, or if you have a trusted trip sitter, let them know so they can help you. 
• “When people are engaging in psychedelic use, that means acknowledging that there’s a possibility of difficult things coming up and being in a setting [where], if you’re having a difficult time, you are able to change your setting – your physical environment,” Karas said. 

After the sesh 

• Be kind to yourself after an LSD trip, particularly if it was difficult. Negative emotions or memories may have come up during the trip, which is normal and totally OK. 
• Consider not tripping again until you’ve fully processed your previous trip, especially if it was difficult. 

Here’s a harm reduction tip that encompasses all drugs: Be aware of your mindset, setting and most importantly, your intention if you decide to take recreational drugs. 

“Having self-awareness of why you are choosing to engage in this drug use goes a long way in preventing drug misuse,” Karas said. 

Reagent test kit care is important too. The solution usually comes in a dropper bottle. It’s crucial to hold the bottle far enough away from the sample when dropping the solution onto the sample. If some of the sample gets sucked back into the bottle, the rest of the solution becomes unusable. If you store the test kits in a cool, dry place, and otherwise take proper care of it, its shelf life should be about one year. 

Lastly, party animals should also pay attention to the frequency of drug use and if the doses are increasing. 

“Those are all different things that I would be monitoring as an individual who is consuming drugs while trying to maintain a healthy relationship with drug use,” Karas said. 

For more information, check out Dancesafe.org, Tripsafe.org and Rollsafe.org.