It’s been over three months since the government ordered pubs to close but from the 4th of July they’ll be opening their doors once more. The experience will be very different to pre-Covid times; you’ll have to register when you arrive to help with contact tracing should an infection be traced back to the pub, packed bar areas will be replaced by table service and seating areas may well be separated by plastic screens.
If you and your mates are still going to be heading straight down the pub, follow this guide to keep yourselves safe and help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Avoid Sharing
Sharing drinks, snorting equipment, cigarettes and vapes will increase to risk of transmitting coronavirus (and in the case of snorting equipment, blood borne viruses like Hepatitis C) so keep all these things to yourself. Just because no one in your group has symptoms, it doesn’t mean that no one has the virus.
Start Low, Take It Slow
If you’ve been taking less drugs during lockdown your tolerance will have gone down. Start with a smaller amount than you usually would and take breaks between doses.
If you take cocaine and drink alcohol at the same time they will combine to form Cocaethylene which is far more toxic that either drug on their own. This combination will also make it more likely you’ll have an ‘edgy’/anxious/aggressive high. The best option is to pick one substance and stick to it for the night.
Stay Hydrated
Consuming alcohol and other drugs will dehydrate you which is damaging to your internal organs and will make your hangover far worse the next day. To avoid this, alternate alcoholic drinks with water or squash and drink a pint of water before you go to bed. This is especially important if you’re spending the day in a hot, sunny beer garden.
Make Sure You Have a Safe Way of Getting Home
Don’t be tempted to drink and drive- opt for walking, a taxi or public transport instead. Check before you set off for the pub that your bus route will still be running at last orders. If you’re getting on a bus or in a taxi, remember you will need to wear a face covering (a medical mask is best but a bandana or scarf will do).
Follow Government Guidelines
The pubs have only been allowed to open because of the progress made against the virus over the past three months and will have to close again if it looks like there’s going to be a second peak of infections. Make sure you follow government guidelines around social distancing, hand hygiene and who you are allowed to meet from outside your household.
If you’re concerned about your use of alcohol or other drugs, or the use of a friend or family member, find out more information or contact us using the buttons below.
Today is Armed Forces Day, a chance to raise awareness and show support for the currently serving troops, service families, veterans and cadets who make up the armed forces community.
At BDP, we run a free and confidential service to support veteran’s from the British Armed Forces who feel their use of alcohol or other drug has become problematic and is affecting their health, relationships and ambitions.
43% of veterans seeking mental health support also experience alcohol problems.
Launched in January 2019, Veteran’s Independence from Problematic Substances (VIPS) is supported by the Royal British Legion, the Army Benevolent Fund and other charitable donations. VIPS offers a combination of 1-on-1 and group support.
As part of Armed Forces Day, we caught up with Maria, our specialist Veterans Drugs Worker, to find out more about the support she offers veterans.
“Veterans may access our support seeking a confidential space to consider the impact of their alcohol or drug use, because they are looking for techniques to support a greater sense of control, or with a desire to stop using alcohol or drugs,” explains Maria.
“When I first meet a veteran I start to look to understand their current and historic experience of alcohol and or drug use. While I understand that the roles and experiences of a veteran’s time in the forces will vary individually, it’s important to recognise their service. Whether that’s looking at the drinking culture experienced while serving, or how alcohol and other drugs can be ways to manage experiences like trauma of the challenge of transitioning from service to civilian life.”
Due to social distancing restrictions with COVID-19, support is currently being offered over the phone and via online chat. Prior to this, veteran’s would have the choice of 1-to-1 meeting at BDP or at the Royal British Legion on Union Street, where the VIPS groups are also held.
The VIPS service also provides links into alternative options for support, whether that’s Bristol’s Community Recovery Service, mutual aid available in the community or access to the online support platform Breaking Free. To find out how VIPS can support yourself or someone you care about click below.
Pharmacy Students from the University of Bath have sent their thanks to BDP for the opportunity to visit our Health & Harm Reduction Centre, allowing them to meet staff and service users and find out more about the work we do to support people using drugs in Bristol.
Dr Jenny Scott from the Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology wrote to BDP to share the thoughts and feedback of her pharmacy students, saying “I am writing to say a huge thank you to you and your team for the support given to my department and out final year students again this year… As usual, the student feedback suggests that the visits really embedded the importance of harm reduction in the minds of the students and have really helped reduce stigma.”
Before the visit I was very worried as I had not done anything like this before so did not know what to expect. I had false preconceptions on what the visit would be like due to the stigma towards drug users and drug services in the community. However, the visit was not as expected. It showed me the vast range of services that are offered and how they do not only benefit the drug users but also the community. From this experience I have learnt that there is much more to drug services than just providing equipment and medicines.
From speaking to service providers, I learnt that the relationship between users and providers of these services is crucial for its effectiveness. People will not listen to people whom they do not trust and as drug users tend not to trust legislative bodies due to past traumas, the relationship between user and provider is crucial in providing this service. Although I already knew that good relationships encourage people to access more care, I did not realise the sheer importance of this in drugs services and how neglected it is by healthcare providers. This will impact my future practice as I will ensure that all staff members understand the need for good communication with drug service users and how detrimental stigma can be to their treatment progression.
I was nervous about visiting because I was unsure how drug users would behave around students, and I think this stems from the hostile image the public makes of drug users. I expected BDP to be quiet because I assumed that drug users would refuse to access help. Upon reflection, I was surprised by the amount of people using the NSP (Needle & Syringe Programme) and the large team working for BDP. I realised that changing a person’s behaviour towards drugs is complex; individuals must be supported by a team to reduce harm and achieve abstinence.
The amount of work BDP undertakes, makes me value the pharmacies that offer NSP to ease the workload for BDP. Therefore during my preregistration year, I will play an active role in NSP to help drug users. I have realised that drug users are stigmatised, and it can be difficult for drug users to access help. I appreciate BDP’s efforts to preserve anonymity by opting for a discrete building to encourage drug users to enter. Acts of kindness are important. Therefore, I will incorporate phrases, like “how are you doing today?”, in my future practice to avoid stigma, allow service users to blend into society and prevent disengagement from care.
Each year, hundreds of pharmacy students from the University of Bath are given the opportunity to shadow BDP services. This year, Covid-19 brought student visits to an abrupt halt, with only 71 visits between February and March.
To find out about partnership opportunities at BDP, please get in contact.
Stop Adult Abuse Week is a local initiative that started when a number of Local Safeguarding Adult Board Communications Groups in the South West decided to join together to run a week to focus attention on Safeguarding.
This Thursday, Stop Adult Abuse Week is raising awareness of Cuckooing.
What is ‘Cuckooing’?
Cuckooing is a crime where drug dealers will take over the home of a vulnerable person, using force or coercion, in order to use it as a base for storing or selling illicit drugs.
Drug dealers are selective about who they target, often preying upon isolated and vulnerable people with a drug addiction who are living alone. The victim can be coerced into letting the drug dealers in by being offered ‘free’ drugs. Once control is gained, gangs will move in and takeover the property and lives of the victim, with risk of violence and sexual exploitation.
There’s no such thing as free drugs.
Do you feel trapped in your own home?
Drug dealers are exploiting people in Bristol and taking over their homes. If you feel unsafe speak to us at BDP. We have already helped people take back control. Call us 0117 987 6000. Let’s find a way out together.
Working alongside service-users, BDP have launched a localised campaign to raise awareness of the risks of being ‘cuckooed’ and provide people with an opportunity to come forward and seek support.
The loss of George Floyd’s life has shocked people around the world to their very core and brought people out onto their streets, including those in our city, demanding change.
BDP’s mission is “reducing harm from alcohol and other drugs, promoting change, challenging prejudice and maximising people’s potential” We stand in solidarity with the mission and belief of Black Lives Matter:
Imagining and creating a world free of anti-Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic and political power to thrive.
At BDP, we are proud of the work of our dedicated Diverse Communities Link Worker and the wider BDP team, who all work to support underrepresented communities around problematic alcohol and other drugs and ensure our services are culturally accessible.
The Drop Team
Benzodiazepines are prescribed for anxiety and sleep disorders but they are also a commonly used recreational drug, often to counter the effects of a come down and for their anxiety reducing effects. The most common benzos used by recreational users in the UK are diazepam (Valium) and Xanax (Alprazolam).
The main issues for people who use benzos that are not prescribed to them are that benzos are highly addictive and that they are often ‘mis-sold’, meaning that the drug you receive is often not the one you intended by buy. This blog will discuss these issues and how to minimise the risks.
Dependence
If you notice that you’re taking benzo more often or at a higher dose, the thought of not having benzos fills you with anxiety or if you experience withdrawal symptoms such as the shakes, feeling agitated, headaches, sweats or psychosis (amongst others), it’s possible you may be dependent on benzos. If you think you might be dependent, here’s what to do:
Do not stop using benzos suddenly as you will be at risk of potentially life threatening seizures.
Seek support from your GP. They are able to prescribe to you at a reducing dose until you are benzo free.
Contact PostScript 360. They can advocate your case to your GP, provide practical support over the phone and face to face therapy if you’re Bristol/South Glos based (currently over the phone due to Covid-19). You should also contact your local drug service who will be able to give you some extra support.
Contaminated Supply
Benzos are regularly ‘mis-sold’, meaning that the drugs a person receives is not what they intended to buy. In the past few weeks there have been a huge number of reports of this happening from all across the UK. If you’re buying benzos, follow these steps to keep yourself safe:
Don’t be fooled by convincing packaging/branding. A google image search of the pills or packaging cannot confirm what is in the batch that you bought.
Test each new batch at WEDINOS. The results should only take a few days.
If the results come back as you expected, start with a test dose and don’t use alone.WEDINOS is not able to tell you what dose is in each pill.
If the results come back as something different, either throw it away or spend some time researching the substance before you decide whether or not to take it. If you do decide to take it, start with a test dose and don’t use alone.
If you use benzos or other drugs, use the buttons below to read our harm reduction advice, find out more about The Drop or contact us.
