​New drug safety and harm reduction initiative launched in the UK, Safer States

A new drug safety and harm reduction initiative has been launched in the UK by the nightlife campaign group Good Night Out, Safer States.

Safer States provides drug education and community resources from a group of nightlife safety experts, organisations, and clubbers. Good Night Out has also teamed up with The Love Tank, Release, and Safe Only on the initiative.

The initiative hopes to provide a “straightforward guide” to safer drug use in nightlife settings, challenge stigma, and support the UK nightlife scene in “getting real about drugs”.

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“As a training organisation, we are always having conversations about drugs - including alcohol - and how they interact with nightlife safety because we talk to people who run events and work in venues every week,” says Good Night Out’s Yves Suzanne.

“We know that drugs have always been a part of nightlife and we have seen positive effects of harm reduction in nightlife settings. We know that young people having access to information about what they’re taking leads to better experiences overall, which is crucial for safer nights out.”

The guide will provide “vital, life-saving information” about the biggest drug risks and dangerous combinations, with a focus on some of the most commonly used club drugs such as MDMA, cocaine, ketamine and NOS.

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Dani from queer harm reduction agency Safe Only Ltd explains: “Harm reduction is at the root of the queer experience, it's what makes life liveable and glorious in a world that is historically and increasingly geared towards harm.”

“Harm reduction in a substance use context is a model for the sort of structures and interactions that could exist everywhere, that recognizes the complexity and messiness of our existence, and doesn't try to put that into neat, manageable boxes.”

Find out more about Safer States here.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter