Safety Guides
Simple, research-based guides to using more safely. The goal isn't to tell you what to do — it's to make sure that whatever you do, you do it with the lowest risk possible.
The Commandments of Harm Reduction
The core principles behind every guide here — drawn from harm-reduction practice and Dominic Milton Trott's Ten Commandments of Safer Drug Use.
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1
Know your substance Research the dose, duration, effects, and risks before you use — not while you're already high.
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2
Test it Use reagent kits and fentanyl / benzodiazepine test strips. You can't see, smell, or taste an adulterant.
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3
Measure, don't guess Use a milligram scale or volumetric dosing. Eyeballing potent substances is how people die.
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4
Start low, go slow Take a small test dose first and wait for the full onset before even thinking about more.
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5
Never mix blindly Stacking depressants — opioids, benzos, alcohol — is the most common cause of fatal overdose. Check every combination.
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6
Don't use alone Have someone present who can respond, or use a never-use-alone hotline. Most overdose deaths happen alone.
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7
Mind set and setting Your mindset and your environment shape the experience as much as the dose does.
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8
Be ready for an emergency Learn the signs of overdose, keep naloxone on hand around opioids, and know it is safe to call for help.
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9
Respect tolerance Tolerance falls fast after a break — a dose that was once normal can become an overdose. Re-start low.
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10
Look after yourself Take breaks, watch for problematic patterns, and tend to your mental and physical health.
Before You Use
Trusted Resources
A directory of respected harm-reduction guides and services online — where to go deeper than this site.
3 min readDrug Checking
Reagent kits, fentanyl & benzo test strips, and lab testing — what each one can and can't tell you.
5 min readWeighing & Volumetric Dosing
Choosing a milligram scale, and how to measure sub-milligram doses safely with volumetric dosing.
5 min readTest Doses: Start Low, Go Slow
Why an allergy/potency test dose on every new batch is the cheapest insurance you can buy.
3 min readVocabulary & Glossary
Plain-language definitions for the dosing, route, and harm-reduction terms used across the site.
4 min readRoutes of Administration
Safer Routes of Administration
How you take a drug changes the risk as much as what you take. A plain-language risk ladder across every route we cover.
6 min readInsufflation (Snorting)
Snorting — lower-harm than injection, but tough on the nose. Fine powder, nostril care, and never sharing equipment (HCV risk).
6 min readSafer Injection
An in-depth guide for people who inject: sterile solution, IM and IV technique, vein care, and overdose prevention.
12 min readRectal Administration (Boofing)
Plugging / boofing — for some substances a lower-harm alternative to injection. Solution prep, technique, and the real risks.
6 min readDuring Use & Emergencies
Overdose Response & Naloxone
Recognising and responding to an opioid, stimulant, or depressant emergency — and how to use naloxone.
6 min readDangerous Combinations
The combinations that actually kill people — respiratory-depression stacking and serotonin syndrome.
5 min readHeat & Hydration
The stimulant/MDMA balance: avoiding overheating without tipping into dangerous over-hydration.
4 min readSet, Setting & Difficult Experiences
Preparing your mindset and environment, and how to ride out a hard psychedelic experience.
5 min readOngoing Health
Tolerance & Taking Breaks
How tolerance builds, why it raises overdose risk, and how to reset it safely.
4 min readVein & Wound Care
For people who inject: rotating sites, spotting infection early, and when to seek care.
5 min readSafer Storage & Disposal
Labeling, keeping substances away from children and pets, and disposing of sharps safely.
3 min readThese guides summarise established harm-reduction references and are for educational purposes only. They are not medical advice. When in doubt, contact a local harm-reduction service or medical professional.