Top 10 Harm Reduction Tips: Reducing Your Risk!

You’ve gotten through that test, or maybe you’re celebrating a birthday, or hanging out around Ottawa. Whatever you are celebrating, follow these harm reduction tips to party safely!

1. If you’re drinking, remember to eat and hydrate well!

Food in your stomach helps prevent rapid intoxication and hydrating ensures that you stay safer and feel better—both while you’re out to prevent hangovers and blackouts, and while recovering the next day

2. Be prepared!

Whether you’re home alone or with your bubble, make a plan to stay safe:

  • Set a limit on how many drinks you’re planning to have, and space the drinks out over a period of time rather than consuming all of your alcohol at once.
  • Make an exit plan: know-how and when you plan to leave.
  • Plan to have substance-free days.
  • Charge your phone before leaving so that you can call friends or family in case of an emergency.

3. Heading somewhere? Don’t drive your car tonight!
Keep yourself and others safe by choosing not to drive, asking a sober friend to chauffeur, or by taking the bus, Uber, Lyft, or a taxi.

4. Consent is everything!
When things are getting hot and heavy, remember, consent is essential every time you hook up. Learn more about consent here!

5. Don’t mix your substances, including caffeine!
If you’re partying, stick with one substance at a time. Mixing substances increases your chances of having negative side effects.

6. Measure your drinks to know exactly how much you’re consuming.
Do you know how much one standard drink is? Learn more from Ottawa Public Health.

7. Choose the least harmful method of use.
For example, when it comes to cannabis, eating cannabis or using a vaporizer or smoking a joint (with a rolled-up cardboard filter) is safer than using a bong and some pipes. If you use other substances, injecting a drug carries more risk than smoking, snorting or swallowing it. (If you do inject drugs, avoid the neck area.)

8. If you experience distress, please seek help.
Connex Ontario
1.866.531.2600
24/7 health services information for addiction, mental health, and problem gambling.

For additional resources, please see our Crisis Supports.

9. Staying sober, or know someone who is?
The AC Umbrella Project shares relapse prevention tips for getting through the next few weeks. View all 5 tips here.

10. Plans to keep safe during COVID?
Public health recommends that you only see people only in your social bubble. Try celebrating outdoors, virtually or by doing a drive by birthday party. Find out more tips on partying during COVID here.

Looking for additional resources? Check out the Umbrella Project and Project Lighthouse for more available in-person and online supports.