The drug landscape is constantly changing and what is sold as a certain substance, often contains lots of other substances.
We’ve put together this helpful guide to help you keep safe.
Be extra cautious
If you notice something unusual about your drugs, it’s safer not to take them.
Stay low; go slow
Take a small amount and then wait to see how it affects you. Different batches can vary hugely in strength, even if they look the same or came from the same place, so what worked last time isn’t a reliable guide. Give it time before you take more, at least an hour for most substances, longer if you’ve taken something orally rather than smoked or snorted it. It’s tempting to top up if you don’t feel anything straight away, but that’s often when things go wrong. Wait it out first.
Help your mates
Keep each other calm and make sure you know what to do in an emergency. Look out for each other through the night, not just at the start. Agree beforehand who’s staying sober enough to keep an eye on things, and don’t leave anyone on their own if they’re not feeling right. Know the signs of an overdose and what to do if someone needs help: call 999, tell the ambulance crew exactly what’s been taken, and stay with them until help arrives. You won’t get in trouble for calling an ambulance to save a mate’s life.
Avoid mixing
Mixing substances, including alcohol, can be unpredictable and dangerous. Combining drugs puts extra strain on your body and increases the risk of overdose, even when each substance alone would have felt manageable. The effects don’t just add up, they can multiply or interact in ways that are hard to predict, and mixing depressants such as alcohol, benzodiazepines and opioids is particularly risky as it increases the chance of your breathing slowing down too much. If you do choose to use more than one substance, go slower than usual and take smaller amounts of each.
Check your drugs
If you can, test your drugs before use to make sure they are what they think they are. The illegal drug market is unregulated, so what’s sold as one substance can turn out to be something else entirely, or cut with something unexpected. Reagent testing kits and drug checking services can help you spot the difference before you take anything, giving you a better idea of what you’re actually dealing with. It’s not a full safety guarantee, but it’s a useful extra step, and if something doesn’t test as expected, that’s a strong reason to not take it.
Avoid using alone
Have people you trust with you to make sure you’re safe if things go wrong. If something does go wrong, having someone there to notice and act quickly can make all the difference, and that’s much harder to guarantee if you’re on your own. Agree on one person who won’t take anything. They can keep an eye out on the rest of you, stay clear-headed enough to spot the signs of an overdose, and call for help without hesitation if it’s needed. It’s a simple step, but it’s one of the most effective ways to reduce risk on a night out.
Know the signs of an overdose
Knowing the signs of an overdose can help reduce the harms associated with an overdose. Not knowing what you’re taking, or how strong it is, can increase your risk of bad side effects or even an overdose, so it helps to know what to watch for in yourself and the people around you. Overdoses don’t always look dramatic from the outside, and the early signs can be easy to miss or mistake for someone just being very drunk or very high.
Listen out for loud snoring or gurgling. This can be a sign that someone’s airway is partly blocked and they’re not breathing properly, which is dangerous even if they still appear to be asleep or unconscious rather than in obvious distress. If you hear it, try to wake them. If you can’t, call 999 straight away and put them in the recovery position while you wait.
Blue or pale lips or fingertips
Blue or pale lips or fingertips can be a sign of an overdose. This colour change happens when the body isn’t getting enough oxygen, often because breathing has slowed down too much or stopped altogether. It’s one of the clearer visual signs and worth checking for, especially on the lips, fingertips or under the nails, where it tends to show up first. If you see it, treat it as an emergency: call 999 and stay with the person.
Unconsciousness
An overdose can lead to unconsciousness. Someone who can’t be woken up, even with a firm shake or shout, needs help straight away, this isn’t something to wait out or sleep off. Check if they’re breathing and put them in the recovery position while you call 999, and stay with them until help arrives. Don’t leave them alone, even briefly, and don’t assume they’ll come round on their own.
Overheating
Overdose can lead to overheating. Some substances push the body’s temperature up, sometimes dangerously so, which can cause someone to feel hot to the touch, sweat heavily or become confused and agitated. This is especially common with stimulants, and it’s often made worse by dancing or being in a hot, crowded space without enough water or breaks. If someone seems overheated, move them somewhere cooler, help them sip water and keep an eye on how they’re doing. If they’re not improving, or their condition worsens, call 999.
Heart racing or chest pain
Heart racing or chest pain can be a sign of overdose. A racing heart can feel alarming on its own, but chest pain alongside it is a clear signal that something’s wrong and needs urgent attention, it’s not something to wait out. Don’t put it down to nerves or excitement and hope it passes. If someone tells you their chest hurts or their heart’s pounding in a way that doesn’t feel right, call 999 and stay with them until help arrives.
Shivering, twitching or tremors
Overdoses can lead to shivering, twitching or tremors. These can turn up on their own or alongside other signs, and they’re the body’s way of showing that something isn’t right, even if the person seems otherwise alert. Twitching or tremors that are more pronounced than usual, or that don’t settle, shouldn’t be brushed off as just someone being cold or jittery. If you notice this alongside anything else on this list, or it’s getting worse rather than better, call 999.
Panic or confusion
Overdoses can also cause panic or confusion. Someone might seem disorientated, not know where they are, struggle to answer simple questions, or become anxious and distressed for no clear reason. It can be hard to tell this apart from someone just being very drunk or very high, but if it doesn’t ease off, or if they seem genuinely frightened or unable to follow what’s happening around them, stay with them, keep talking to them calmly, and call 999 if things don’t improve.
Call 999
If you’re worried about someone or you see any of these signs, call 999 and ask for an ambulance. You will not get in trouble. It’s easy to hesitate, worrying about the police getting involved or getting yourself or your mate in trouble, but your safety comes first and ambulance staff are there to help, not to judge. Tell them exactly what’s been taken, how much and when, if you know, as this helps them give the right treatment quickly. If you’re not sure whether it’s serious enough to call, treat that uncertainty as your answer and call anyway.
Put them in the recovery position
Put them in the recovery position, it could save their life. If you don’t know the recovery position, just turn them onto their side. This keeps their airway clear and stops them from choking if they’re sick, which is one of the biggest risks when someone’s unconscious or drowsy. Tilt their head back slightly so they can breathe, and stay with them until the ambulance arrives, checking regularly that they’re still breathing. Don’t leave them on their back, and don’t prop them up sitting, on their side is what keeps them safe.
Last Updated on 15 September 2026