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MDMA & ACID
HARM REDUCTION
INFORMATION
Phoenix Futures Young People’s Service
Phoenix Futures Young People’s Service is Trafford’s Specialist
Substance Misuse Service. We provide support for young people
aged 11 to 25 who are using drugs and/or alcohol and would
like to talk to someone in confidence. We offer a flexible service
consisting of brief interventions, care planned 1:1 work, group work
and prevention sessions. All of which are appropriate to the young
person’s age and needs.
We provide a varied and diverse service to cater for the differing
needs of our young people. We recognise that some young
people may need support in other areas of their lives so we have
built strong relationships with other agencies that can provide this
support.
We also offer support to family members and significant others who
are affected by the young person’s substance misuse.
As a service our aim is to help young people overcome their
substance related issues so that they can sustain a stable and
healthier lifestyle and achieve their full potential.
If you would like to know more about our service please call the
office on 0161 905 1013 or come in and see us at
Phoenix Futures, Grosvenor House, 177-179 Washway
Road, Sale, M33 4AH
Registered charity number 284880
MDMA (Ecstasy)
Ecstasy pills can be hard to determine because they come in
various colours, shapes, sizes with different designs or logos
stamped on them. This can result in them having nicknames e.g.
“Teddy” or “Mastercard”
Safety Precautions
Physical side effects
MDMA should be avoided by
people with a history of mental
illness or depression as it can
trigger depression or make it worse
if you have it already.
• Dilated pupils
• A tingling feeling
• Tightening of the jaw muscles
• Raised body temperature
• Increased hart rate
As MDMA pushes up blood
pressure and heart rate, it should
be avoided if you’ve got any of the
following:
• High blood pressure
• Heart, liver, or kidney problems
• The eye condition glaucoma
• A history of stroke.
Short-term effects can include
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Confused episodes
• Paranoia and psychosis.
Give it time to take effect & wait
at least two hours before using any
more.
MDMA is a Class A drug, so
the sentence for possession
is seven years plus an
unlimited fine. Selling or
supplying it carries a penalty
of life imprisonment plus an
unlimited fine.
Effects / Dangers of
taking MDMA
MDMA affects the body’s
temperature control. Dancing for
long periods of time increases
the chances of overheating and
dehydrating, however drinking too
much water can also be dangerous.
It can cause the body to release
a hormone which stops it making
urine.
Between 1996 and 2014 in
England & Wales there were
670 deaths caused Ecstasy/
MDMA. Deaths are often due
to heatstroke, heart failure or
drinking too little or too much
water.
Mixing MDMA With
other drugs
The comedown can make people
feel lethargic and depressed.
• Mixing different types of drugs can put strain on the heart
Evidence suggests long-term users
can also suffer memory problems
and may develop depression and
anxiety in the long term.
• One drug may mean you have to take higher levels of another type of drug to feel the effects and this can lead to overdose.
Using MDMA has been linked to
liver, kidney and heart problems.
• The drugs might interact in completely unexpected ways.
Some users report getting colds and
sore throats more often, which may
be partly due to staying awake for
24 hours, which can run down your
immune system.
Anyone with a heart condition,
blood pressure problems, epilepsy
or asthma can have a very
dangerous reaction to the drug.
• Alcohol can deaden the effects of MDMA while MDMA masks the effects of the alcohol, making it difficult to tell how drunk you are. Both dehydrate the body, put strain on the liver and kidneys, and raise body temperature. MDMA-related deaths often involve alcohol.
LSD (Acid)
Is a powerful hallucinogenic drug – this means that users are likely
to experience a distorted view of objects and reality, including
seeing and sometimes hearing things that aren’t there (these are
hallucinations). The experience of taking LSD is known as a ‘trip’.
Trips can be good or bad, but until you take it you don’t know how it
will affect you – and once it’s started you can’t stop it.
Safety Precautions
Physical & Mental Effects
Avoid taking LSD if you’re in a
bad mood as this could result in a
bad trip. People have been known
to harm themselves under the
influence of LSD, so be sure to have
responsible friends around you.
• Dilated pupils
• Higher or lower body temperature
• Loss of appetite
• Sleeplessness
• Dry mouth
• Tremors
• Delusions
• Visual hallucinations
• An artificial sense of euphoria
• Distortion of one’s sense of time and identity
• Impaired depth perception
• Impaired time perception, distorted perception of the size and shape of objects, movements, colour, sounds, touch
• Severe, terrifying thoughts
• Fear of losing control
• Panic attacks / Psychosis
Flashbacks, or a recurrence of the LSD trip, often without warning long after taking LSD
Be careful not to take more LSD
when you’re waiting to come up some LSD can take a long time to
take effect.
If someone who has taken LSD
is experiencing a bad trip, take
them to a quiet, safe place. Speak
calmly and confidently to them,
reassuring them that what they
are experiencing are the temporary
effects of the drug, and that it will
stop. Stay with the person, keeping
them calm until the initial effects
of the drug wear off.
Effects / Dangers of
Taking LSD
Mixing LSD with other
Drugs
A trip can appear to involve a
speeding up and slowing down
of time and movements, while
colour, sound and objects can
get distorted. Users experience
hallucinations (seeing and/or
hearing things that aren’t there).
LSD should not be mixed with any
other drug but those who are on
psychiatric medications should
be particularly careful in order to
exclude any potential for adverse
drug interactions.
Trips can feed off your imagination
and may heighten a mood you’re
already in. So if you’re in a bad
mood, feeling worried or depressed,
LSD may just make these feelings
worse.
Flashbacks sometimes happen.
This is when part of the ‘trip’ is relived after the original experience.
Flashbacks usually occur within
weeks of taking LSD, but can be
experienced months or occasionally
even years later.
LSD could have serious, longerterm implications for somebody
who has a history of mental health
problems. It may also be responsible
for setting off a mental health
problem that had previously gone
unnoticed. If you feel that you’re
having – or are going to have – a
bad trip, let your friends know and
get their help.
Acid is a Class A drug, so it’s
illegal to have, give away or
sell. Possession is illegal and
can get you up to seven years
in jail and/or an unlimited fine.
Supplying someone else, even
your friends, can get you up to
life imprisonment and/or an
unlimited fine.
Phoenix Futures – for support
Summer Drop-in for under 18s
1:00-2:00pm on a Tuesday
Starting Tuesday 26th July up until 6th September 2016
DutyServiceDailyMonday–Friday9:00-5:00
Wehaveadutyservicewherebyanyyoungperson,knownorunknown
to our service, can speak to a keyworker either by phone or in person if
they have concerns around substances.
Phoenix Futures Trafford Young People’s Service
Grosvenor House
177-179 Washway Road
Sale
M33 4AH
Tel: 0161 905 1013
[email protected]
Other sources of support:
Talk to Frank
0300 123 6600