Staying safe: Preparing for the party

Whether you are partying at home, heading out to a club, or heading along to one of the largest pride dance parties this city has ever seen, take time to prepare for the party… it will be worth it! On this page, we have some tips that you might like to keep in mind as you gear up for Sydney WorldPride. 

Be aware of your tolerance

If you stopped using drugs, or used less, during COVID, you might have a decreased tolerance. Take less than what you normally would. Always start low and go slow. Take a small amount and wait until you feel the effects before using again. COVID-19 has impacted the drug market, which may affect what you’re taking. Take a small amount to start with and make sure the effects you’re feeling are the desired ones before taking any more.

Be mindful of local drug alerts

This year has seen the presence of fentanyl in a number of substances. Keep up to date with NSW Health drug alerts, DanceWize NSW and NUAA websites and social media pages to understand what they mean for you.

Know signs of distress or overdose

Familiarise yourself with signs of overdose on Pivot Point: there’s information about G, MDMA, Crystal, and more information on G. The DanceWize NSW team has a suite of very helpful resources for festival goers, these are worth a read!

Know what to do in an emergency

Print out a “how to” guide to the recovery position and CPR and stick it on the fridge. If you are heading out for the night, you can also save the guide to your phone or text it to yourself and share it with your mates.

Test your supply

You can buy reagent testing kits for your supply online or you can buy them from a local tobacconist, use these ahead of time for a better sense of the strength and purity of anything you might plan to take. Read more about testing your supply on the DanceWize NSW website.  

Where and who

Think about where you are going to party, is it at your house, is it at a sauna or are you going to jump online to find partners? Have a plan of where you will go and who you will party with.

Rest up

If you have a big weekend planned, it is best to go in well-rested, and take some downtime beforehand.

Eat

It’s best to eat a starchy or heavy meal before we start partying but some us might choose to avoid this if we’re bottoming. If you are not going to eat right before you start your party, make sure you eat well in the days beforehand. Consider taking a multivitamins as well.

Have snacks ready

It’s good to have snacks around the house for when you get home. If you’re hosting a party, have plenty of water, orange juice and other non-alcoholic drinks as well as snacks on hand and encourage people to stay hydrated and eat. It’s also a good idea to budget in a food takeaway for the day after the party!

Hydrate

Drink plenty of water in the days beforehand and when you are partying remember to sip and not skull water.

Stock up

Remember to stock up on things like condoms, lube and earplugs. Make sure that you’ve got enough of your medications too!

If you or others will be injecting, make sure you pop into a Needle Syringe Program (NSP) and pick up extra sterile equipment. Don’t rely on everyone to bring their own and make sure you let people know that you have injecting equipment available. You can also access fentanyl strips for testing via the NSP and Naloxone (which temporarily reverses the effect of opioid overdose). You can access ACON’s NSP located in the ACON office.

Charge your phone

Make sure you have got plenty of charge on your phone. It’s a great idea to bring a portable charger and use aeroplane mode to reduce battery. There are things that you can do to extend your phone’s battery life when you are out and about. For example, limit taking videos, turn off Wi-Fi, turn off Bluetooth, and turn your brightness down.

Keep up to date with COVID and MPOX regulations

Check the NSW Health website and ensure that your social calendar is keeping in line with current restrictions and recommendations.