The most important point to remember is to not drink too much. How much is too much?

Having four standard drinks doubles your risk of an alcohol-related injury and your risk increases every extra drink you have.

What is a standard drink? Find out here

Look out for each other

• If friends choose not to drink, support them in this decision.
• If someone is showing worrying side effects, call an ambulance immediately. Dial 000.
• To reduce the risk of an unconscious person vomiting and choking to death, turn them on their side in the safety position, make sure their airways are clear, and do not leave them alone.

Plan your night in advance

• Plan safe transport. Have a designated driver, keep enough money to pay for a taxi, or use public transport.
• Avoid activities such as swimming when drinking due to risk of drowning.*

Follow these simple safer drinking tips

• Have a water or soft drink before you start drinking alcohol and between drinks. Water is free at places where alcohol is served.
• Set a limit and count your drinks. Remember, one drink is not always one standard drink (for instance, two stubbies of regular beer is about three standard drinks).
• Eat before and while you are drinking. Alcohol is absorbed much more slowly when your stomach is full.
• One drink at a time. Avoid drinking in rounds and topping up drinks, as it becomes difficult to keep track of how much you've had to drink.
• Pace yourself. Have a non-alcohol drink as a spacer and take sips not gulps.
• Keep active. Dance, play pool – you tend to drink less. Avoid just sitting and drinking. If you are very active, remember to drink lots of water.
• Try low-alcohol alternatives (for instance, light or mid-strength beer).
• Don't mix alcohol with drugs. Mixing any combination of prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, illicit drugs and alcohol can be unpredictable and dangerous. Always check the effects of prescription drugs are not interfered with by alcohol.

*Every activity has some level of risk. When alcohol is consumed, that risk is increased.

What is alcohol? Fact Sheet.

Amphetamines are a group of highly addictive drugs that stimulate the central nervous system. They come in liquid, powder, paste, pill or crystal forms. There are legal and illegal forms of amphetamines. The type of illegal amphetamine that is typically found in South Australia is methamphetamine, which is smoked, swallowed, snorted through the nose or injected. Legal amphetamines, such as dextroamphetamine and lisdexamfetamine, are usually only prescribed for particular disorders such as narcolepsy (sleep disorder) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

It is always safer not to use drugs , but there are ways to reduce the risk of amphetamine use:

• It is safer not to inject because of the risk of infections and blood borne virus transmission such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV. Injecting and smoking amphetamines also increases the risk of psychosis and dependence.
• If injecting, always use clean injecting equipment and dispose of it safely. There are Clean Needle Programs throughout South Australia where sterile injecting equipment, health information and referrals can be accessed for free.
• Using smaller amounts less often reduces the risk of developing dependence. Avoid regular use.
• Avoid mixing with other drugs.
• Don’t use alone.

For more information go to What are amphetamines? and Methamphetamines: Your questions and answers.

Opioids are a group of drugs that slow down the body and the brain. Some opioid drugs including morphine, oxycodone, tramadol and codeine are medically prescribed for the management of pain. Heroin is also an opioid but cannot be legally used. Heroin quality can vary because dealers mix the powder with other substances to make the drug go further. Heroin can be injected, but may also be smoked or snorted.

It is always safer not to use drugs, but there are ways to reduce the risk.

• It is safer not to inject because the risk of infections and blood borne virus transmission such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV.
• If injecting, always use clean injecting equipment and dispose of all equipment safely. There are Clean Needle Programs throughout South Australia where sterile injecting equipment, health information and referrals can be accessed for free.
• Using smaller amounts less often reduces the risk of developing dependence. Avoid regular use.
• Avoid mixing with other drugs, particularly other depressants such as alcohol, other opioids and benzodiazepines.
• Know overdose prevention and response strategies, including how to access and administer naloxone.
• Don’t use alone.

For more information go to What is heroin?

Cannabis (often called marijuana) comes from the cannabis plant. It contains the active ingredient delta-9 TetraHydroCannabinol (THC), which affects brain function.

A person who is inexperienced or who has used an amount of the drug that exceeds his or her tolerance for the substance can experience an extreme case of intoxication causing impaired coordination, confusion, anxiety or panic attacks, and feelings of paranoia (irrational distrust). People who frequently use large amounts of cannabis can experience psychotic reactions. While these are rare, symptoms include confusion, delusion, hallucinations and anxiety.

If someone is experiencing any of the above signs, phone 000 immediately for medical attention. Police will not attend unless the ambulance officers call for help or a death occurs.

People with schizophrenia or other mental health conditions should avoid using cannabis as it is likely to aggravate their symptoms. People with a family history of schizophrenia should also avoid using cannabis.

For more information go to What is cannabis?

‘Ecstasy’ was originally a brand name for methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), which is a simulant that increases brain activity. Its chemical structure is similar to methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. Ecstasy is usually swallowed in tablet or capsule form, but is also available as a powder and crystalline form, which is snorted or smoked. Injecting ecstasy is not common and is more dangerous.

People assume that ecstasy contains the drug MDMA; however, many pills that are sold as ecstasy have only a small amount of MDMA or none at all. Other drugs and ‘fillers’ like household cleaning products are often used instead. This makes it difficult to know what reactions to expect as a result of taking ecstasy or how bad the side effects will be.

It is always safer not to use drugs, but there are ways to reduce the risk.

• Due to the wide variations in the contents, contaminants and dosage of drugs sold as ecstasy, it is important to use as little as possible.
• Take frequent rests and stay cool and hydrated to keep body temperature down.
• Avoid using other drugs.
• Don’t use alone.
• Injecting ecstasy pills can be very dangerous as the pills do not dissolve well and can block blood vessels if injected causing scarring and bruising, and may lead to blood clots or the loss of a limb. There is also the risk of infections and blood borne virus transmission such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV.

• If injecting, always use clean injecting equipment, use a clean pill filter and dispose of all equipment safely. There are Clean Needle Programs throughout South Australia where sterile injecting equipment, health information and referrals can be accessed for free.

For more information go to What is ecstasy?

Benzodiazepines (benzos) are a group of depressant drugs that reduce activity in the brain, resulting in a calming effect. They are usually prescribed for a short time to relieve anxiety and to help people sleep and come in pills or capsules. The three types of benzodiazepines are: short, intermediate and long acting. When used correctly, benzodiazepines are relatively safe. However, there are risks associated with their use.

Common types

• Alprazolam (Xanax, Kalma) - (Short-acting)
• Oxazepam (Serepax, Alepam, Murelax) - (Short-acting)
• Temazepam (Normison, Temaze, Temtabs, Euhypnos) - (Short-acting)
• Flunitrazepam (Hypnodorm) - (Intermediate-acting)
• Nitrazepam (Mogadon, Alodorm) - (Intermediate-acting)
• Clonazepam (Rivotril, Paxam) - (Intermediate-acting)
• Lorazepam (Ativan) - (Intermediate-acting for oral tablet)
• Diazepam (Valium, Antenex, Ducene, Ranzepan, Valpam) - (Long-acting).

It is always safer not to use drugs, but there are ways to reduce the risk.

• Using smaller amounts less often reduces the risk of developing dependence. Avoid regular use.
• Avoid using other drugs particularly other depressants such as alcohol or opioids.
• Injecting benzodiazepines can be dangerous as the pills do not dissolve well and can block blood vessels if injected causing scarring and bruising, and may lead to blood clots or the loss of a limb. There is also the risk of infections and blood borne virus transmission such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV.
• If injecting always use clean injecting equipment, use a clean pill filter and dispose of all equipment safely. There are Clean Needle Programs throughout South Australia where sterile injecting equipment, health information and referrals can be accessed for free.

For more information go to Risks associated with benzodiazepines.

Steroids are synthetic drugs that resemble natural hormones made in the body The type of steroids that are misused are anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), which copy the effects of the male hormone, testosterone. People use AAS to build muscle or increase strength. These types of steroids can be swallowed or injected into the muscles. AAS are different to corticosteroids, which are medically prescribed to treat conditions such as asthma. Corticosteroids copy the effects of the cortisol hormone and have no muscle-building or performance-enhancing effects.

For more information go to What are steroids?

It is always safer not to use drugs, but there are ways to reduce the risk:

• It is safer not to inject because of the risk of infections and blood borne virus transmission such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV
• If injecting always use clean injecting equipment, do not share any equipment including vials and dispose of all equipment safely. There are Clean Needle Programs throughout South Australia where sterile injecting equipment, health information and referrals can be accessed for free.
• Be aware of and avoid counterfeit products.

Cocaine (coke) is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system – your brain. It is made from the leaves of the coca plant and comes in two forms. As a powder, it is snorted or may be dissolved in water and injected although this is dangerous and not common practice. In a crystal or ‘rock’ form, it is known as freebase or crack cocaine and is smoked.

It is always safer not to use drugs, but there are ways to reduce the risk.

• Using smaller amounts less often reduces the risk of developing dependence. Avoid regular use.
• Avoid mixing with other drugs.
• Don’t use alone.
• Cocaine acts as a local anaesthetic so is very dangerous to inject with risk of local injury and infection at the injecting site. There is also the risk of infections and blood borne virus transmission such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV.
• There is also a blood borne virus risk from sharing of snorting equipment.
• If injecting, always use clean injecting equipment and dispose of all equipment safely. There are Clean Needle Programs throughout South Australia where sterile injecting equipment, health information and referrals can be accessed for free.

For more information go to What is cocaine?