This is from a worker of a Unity, a Dutch drugs advice organisation. Although the rest of the site is in Dutch (I was looking there to see what advice was given) this bit is in English as it was intended as a shared project for EU drugs agencies for “European Partyfriends” (and got otherwise overlooked as the EU funded it but clearly didn’t have the balls/cojones/kloten to stand up to the conservative news media in various countries and publicise it well).
The advice is still good, and if we in the UK did party like that then there might be more events licensed here compared to the EU..
[h=3]Ben jij een partyfriend?[/h] Who doesn’t like a good party? I know I do! In fact I think it’s so much fun that even after years of partying and at age 30, I still can’t get quite enough of it. And most of the time it is a lot of fun indeed, but sometimes things do happen. Here’s a few pointers. Feel free to share your own!
[h=2]Talk, Inform & Agree[/h] Inform your friends about how you feel and how you’re going to feel. So tell them what you’re taking and when. Ask them to do the same and try to agree to each others choices. Do you know your limits? Do you know your friends’ limits? And it doesn’t hurt to talk about what sort of day you all had before the party. If you’ve had a bad day at work it’s very well possible it’ll affect your party mood. It’s something us peer educators call set – your mindset, mood and expectations. Set and setting (setting being the location – the party and the people you’re with) are rather important factors that craft your party experience, even more so when you go out tripping.
[h=2]Keep Your Friends (and Yourself) Safe[/h] Everyone knows not to drink and drive. Still many people do it. Most people taking GHB know not to mix with alcohol (if you don’t -> never ever even try this!). Still people do it. STOP! Please make every effort to stop them from doing that, or other stupid things. When you’re partying hard you might feel very much alive, and being intoxicated may have you feel invincible. But really, dead can be just around the corner. You won’t be the first. Public transport is your friend. Water is your friend. But don’t drink insane amounts of water either – it can lead to water poisoning and eventually dead as well. Be Safe. Be Good.
Did you know? Even when you’ve been partying completely sober there’s no guarantee you’ll make for a safe driver. The lack of sleep greatly decreases your driving skills. Don’t fall asleep behind the steering wheel, please.
[h=2]Show Your Support[/h] It is so easy to show your support for the DJ. You just throw your hands up in the air when he throws in a new bomb and that’s it. Yeah! Bravo bravo. It’s hell of a lot more difficult to show your support for a friend (or stranger) who’s having a difficult time, especially when you yourself are having the time of your life. But please, do it. Don’t abandon your friends. Show your support. Show your support by supporting them. Take them to the chill out area, get them a refreshing water and talk to them. And with talk I don’t mean telling them how stupid they’ve been by doing what they did. They know, and if you insist on educating them do so when you’re back home and recovered. Instead speak about the good things in life, about some hot girl you both saw or a moment you had together. Take care of them.
IMPORTANT: if a friend or stranger is out cold and non-responsive to pain, the chill-out area won’t cut it anymore and you should call professional help as soon as possible – security or first aid. Don’t wait. People have died because their friends thought they could wait it out.
[h=2]Be There for Strangers[/h] I don’t know about you but when I go out to a party, I party alone and with everyone. Even when I head out with 20 or more friends, I’m still talking and having fun with strangers. At a party or festival everyone there is your friend. So when you see a lone stranger wander around with a sad face, why not try helping them out? He (or she) is just as much a party friend as the people that you do know. Offer them some water when you see they need it. Offer to walk them to the chill out area. Sit with them for a bit. They’ll feel better. And guess what, you’ll feel even better for helping a stranger out.
[h=2]Enjoy Every Second[/h] Parties last for hours on end. Festivals for even longer. What comes up does come down. Extreme feelings of euphoria and happiness will eventually turn into feeling worn out, exhausted and tired. This may even lead to irritations, but there’s no need. Try to see it as part of the game. It’s called a coming down. It’s not the end of the world. Some proper sleep and food and you’re all good to go again. So why not try and enjoy yourself even during and after the coming down? It’s possible, if you want to. And why wouldn’t you want to? Ban the negative!
[h=2]So, Are You A Party Friend?[/h] This is my mindset how I like to go into the parties and festivals I visit. I do like to believe I make for a good party friend, but it’s not really up to me to decide… so what do you think? And what do you do to be a party friend? Share in the comments! Oh and here’s the website of The European Party Friends Night. I myself work for the Dutch alcohol & drugs harm reduction project called Unity – find us on the web, on Facebook or at major raves and festivals.
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Unity drugsinfo – Nieuws
