Summer is here!

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With summer here, it's a great time to celebrate your achievements as well as relax, see friends and have fun. But without a term-time routine, it can make some of us feel nervous, lonely, or sad. Kooth offers an online wellbeing community for young people if you'd like some free, safe support at any time.

Self care and you

We all have different ways of enjoying summer. For some, summer is about music festivals and parties. For others, relaxing at home is the main aim.

Going out with a group of friends may involve some of you drinking alcohol; others prefer to stick with soft drinks; many go shopping, do sports, try volunteering, or fit in a regular walk or film. Connecting with old friends or family members, or creating a routine, can help your self-care.

Follow your intuition

But people's bodies and minds have different tolerance levels to some summer activities – to noise, crowds, or alcohol for example. This can make you feel more sensitive and less safe in new situations, which you feel you cannot control. Always listen to your intuition. If something doesn't feel comfortable, despite what others say, then it's not right for you.

It's always best to go at our own pace, and show yourself the same care and attention you give your best mates.

What can I do to prepare?

If you're going out to have a great time, here are some top tips to help you make sure you stay safe whilst having fun.

Thinking about drinking alcohol?

Make sure you know about alcohol and the law – it's illegal for someone under 18 to buy, attempt to buy or be sold alcohol. But if you do try alcohol…

Start slow and go slow. Learn your limits and stick to them.
Alternate alcohol with soft drinks or water
Eat! Food will give the energy to keep you going, as well as line your stomach.
Don't leave your drink unattended or accept a drink from someone you don't know. Alcohol is the most common substance used to spike drinks (putting drugs or alcohol into your drink without you knowing).
Plan ahead. If you're going out – plan your 'get away'.
You might not need it, but just in case, have someone you can rely on ready to pick you up, if things go wrong. Or call it a night with your bestie in tow and head home if your gut tells you to.

What about taking drugs?

Most young people do not use illegal substances.
Using drugs always carries risks.
It's important that you understand the law relating to illegal drugs, as well as potential serious effects on your health, particularly mental health.
Illegal drugs vary in strength and purity and you won't know how strong they are or exactly what's in them. Tolerance levels can be very different for different people.
Keep safe and aware of your surroundings if you and your friends decide to take drugs. Consider what it might feel like being intoxicated or 'high' in your situation.

Have you and your friends been open and honest about your drug taking? Most importantly, what would you do in an emergency or if someone needed urgent help?

See this short keeping SAFE clip

Cannabis and other drugs

Cannabis – Some people may choose to smoke cannabis, or try other drugs. You might have heard of edibles? These are food products, such as gummy bears or brownies, often containing a large amount of the active ingredient THC found in cannabis.
Edibles can take 2-3 hours to reach their peak, with their effects lasting much longer. So unlike smoking or vaping, it's easy to accidentally take a larger dose than you wanted to. If you do use edibles, try and reduce harm to yourself by:

Eating a meal first
Going slowly to allow plenty of time to digest them before you feel their full effects
Not mixing edibles with alcohol or other substances
Avoiding using edibles on your own. Have people around you in case you're unwell
Always keep edibles away from children, as they can look just like sweets

Solvents and Nitrous Oxide

Other drugs such as solvents including NOS (Nitrous oxide or 'balloons') also carry risks, including dizziness, sudden paranoia or even falling unconscious. Never inhale NOS directly from the canister, as it comes out under such high pressure, and can damage your throat and lungs, and even affect your breathing or heart.

Click here for more information on drugs and your health.

Party Drugs – be in the know

"Party drugs" such as Ecstasy/MDMA are sold illegally as tablets, capsules or powder, with no guarantee of quality or purity. Many do not even include MDMA but are contaminated with harmful toxic substances. They cause the body's nervous system to speed up (e.g. faster heart rate, dizziness, nausea). So it's safer to avoid these drugs. But if you do decide to take them, reduce your risk of harm:

Do not take multiple doses quickly. The first dose can take time to show its effects and so if you take more too soon, it can lead to an overdose.
Avoid mixing with other drugs
Interactions with prescribed medications can be dangerous – e.g. certain antidepressants.
Sip water regularly (around half a pint every hour)
Keep cool
Be ready to know what to do in an emergency

And Finally – About Nicotine

Cigarettes and vaping equipment both contain nicotine, which is an addictive stimulant. It's important to know that, in the UK, selling cigarettes or vaping equipment to someone under 18 is illegal and it is also illegal to buy them for someone else, who is under 18.

THC vapes might seem a more convenient option for smoking cannabis, but they are much stronger, and can lead to many mental and physical health complications. Recent reports of these vapes being mixed with other substances, have also led to uncomfortable and dangerous side effects.

Remember that you don't have to use alcohol or other drugs to have fun, but you can Talk to Frank at any time for confidential advice.

Deciding to have sex?

Whether you're starting dating, having sex for the first time this summer, with new partners or in a steady relationship, safer sex is best.

Practising safer sex means using a condom to keep you or your partner clear of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – for all types of sex, and safe from pregnancy risk for penis/vagina sex. You can access free condoms and STI testing here.

It's also important to ensure that any sex you have is consensual. Sex with consent means you both agree to do something sexual, feel happy and comfortable with it, with neither of you feeling pressured to do something you don't want to do.

Remember, even if you and your partner first consent, you always have the right to change your mind and say "no" or "stop" at any point.
Being drunk or high might mean either or both of you are much less aware of what is going on, and therefore are not able to give full consent.
You can read more about sex, consent and the law on the Brook website here.

When the party is all going on

Check in with yourself – how do you feel? Would you do this if you were alone? How will you feel about this tomorrow? What can you do to make this experience feel better?
Good friends make you feel good. Great mates respect your choices, whether this is saying you've had enough (bottle of water instead?) or that you feel uncomfortable in a situation.
Check in with your friends – do they look happy, or unwell? Do they look tense and panicky? Or are they drowsy and sleepy?
Follow your instincts. If you are worried that something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't right. It is often harder to live with the consequences of something going wrong, than dealing with the situation quickly.
If things do go wrong, don't be afraid to offer or ask for help fast. Being the best friend you can be, might mean delivering some basic first aid. But it could even mean calling an emergency service should it come down to it. If drugs have been taken, make sure you tell ambulance staff, to get the right help more quickly.

The morning after the night before

Rest, eat, drink water, sleep.

Hopefully, you've had a great time but remember, to check in the next day with yourself and your friends – you might feel low afterwards, especially if you've been drinking too much or smoked cannabis, or are just lacking sleep.

If you or a friend are feeling low, or struggling to cope, contact one of the free confidential 24/7 helplines like Childline or text service 85258 from Shout.
If you had unplanned and/or unprotected sex, you can usually prevent pregnancy if you act fast. Find your local service for emergency contraception and STI testing.
If the sex you had wasn't consensual, seek help. You don't have to report it to the police, but you can still get help. Whether you are a girl or boy – The Havens are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for urgent rape and sexual abuse advice/appointments: tel: 020 3299 6900
If you or someone you know is worried about dealing with a drug or alcohol problem, call FRANK anytime confidentially on 0300 123 6600, or look for a local young people's substance misuse service near you.