Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc.

Drinking alcohol or taking drugs while you are pregnant could cause:

• Miscarriage

• Going into labour early

• Low birth weight

Drinking alcohol or taking drugs while you are pregnant or breastfeedingmayalsocauseyourbabytosufferfrom:

• Drugaddiction

• Suddeninfantdeathsyndrome(SIDS)

• Attentionand/orlearningdifficulties

• Facialabnormalities

• Damagedorgansandlimbs

If you, a family member, or a friend want ‘Help and support’ turn to the back page.

Possession, use and distribution of hallucinogens is illegal within Australia.

Help and supportDirectLineTel: 1800 888 23624 hours, 7 days a weekConfidential AOD counselling and referral line

Family Drug HelpTel: 1300 660 068Monday to Friday 9am-9pm

Youth Support & Advocacy ServiceTel: 1800 014 44624 hour toll free serviceService for people aged 12 – 21 years

Turning Point Alcohol & Drug CentreTel: 03 8413 8413

Victorian Aboriginal Legal ServiceFreecall: 1800 064 865

Harm Reduction VictoriaTel: 03 9329 1500

Australian Drug Foundationwww.druginfo.adf.org.au

Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health OrganisationTel: 03 9411 9411www.vaccho.org.au

Read more about other drugs within your community in the Healthy Spirit, Healthy Community booklet, available at vaccho.org.au.

A guide to hallucinogens within our community

KB

Healthy Spirit, Healthy Community

Coming downInthefollowingdaysafterusinghallucinogens,youmayexperience:

• Anxiety• Panicattacks• Depression

Long term effectsThemostcommonlongtermeffectofusinghallucinogensare‘flashbacks’.Flashbacksarewhenyouexperiencethedrug’seffectsweeks,monthsorevenyearsafteryouhavetakenthedrug.

Thiscanbedisturbingbecauseyouaren’texpectingthehallucination,especiallywhenthehallucinationscaresyou.

Flashbackscanbebroughtonbytheuseofotherdrugs,stress,fatigueorphysicalexercise.

Mixing hallucinogens with other drugsTheeffectsoftakinghallucinogenswithotherdrugs−includingover-the-counterorprescribedmedications−canbeunpredictableanddangerous.

Hallucinogens + Ice, Speed or Ecstasy = enormousstrainontheheartandbody,whichcanleadtoastroke.

Hallucinogens + Alcohol, Yarndi or Benzos = increased chanceofriskybehaviourandvomiting.

Pregnancy and breastfeedingHavingababyisatimeofgreatchange.Ifyouarethinkingabouthavingababy,pregnantorbreastfeeding,it’simportanttoconsiderthetypesofdrugsyoumightbetakingandhowtheycouldaffectyourbaby.Thisisimportantbecausealcoholandotherdrugsyoutake will reach your baby while you are pregnant and breastfeeding.

Effects of hallucinogensTheeffectsofhallucinogenscanlastforfourto12hoursandcanbedifferentdependingonwhichtypeofhallucinogenyouhaveused.

Hallucinogensalsoaffecteveryonedifferently,butyoumayexperience:

• Feeling happy and relaxed• Seeingandhearingthingsthataren’tthere• Confusionandtroubleconcentrating• Dizziness• Blurredvision• Clumsiness• Afastorirregularheartbeat• Breathing quickly• Vomiting• Sweatingandchills• Numbness

Bad tripsSometimesyoucanhavea‘badtrip’andexperienceascaryordisturbinghallucination.Thiscanleadyoutopanicanddoriskythingslikerunacrossaroadorattemptsuicide,eventhoughwhatscaredyouisn’treallythere.

Ifyouhavealot(orgetastrongbatch),youaremorelikelytoexperiencethenegativeeffectsofhallucinogens.

In an emergencyCalltriplezero(000)ifsomeonelookslikethey’vehadhallucinogensandareintrouble.Ambulanceofficersdon’thavetoinvolvethepolice.Whileyouwaitforhelptoarrive:

• Staywiththepersonandtrytokeepthemcalm• Makesuretheyhaveenoughairandloosen

tight clothing • Iftheyliedown,putthemontheirsideincase

theyvomit

Street namesLSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide):acid,trips,tabs,microdots,dots.

Magic mushrooms:shrooms,mushies,bluemeanies,goldentops,libertycaps.

Mescaline (peyote cactus):cactus,cactusbuttons,cactusjoint,mesc,mescal.

LSDInitspurestate,LSDisawhiteodourlesspowder.However,itusuallycomesinsquaresofgelatineorblottingpaperthathavebeendippedorsoakedinLSD.LSDissometimessoldasaliquid,tabletsorcapsules.

LSDisusuallyswallowed,butitcanalsobesniffed,injectedorsmoked.

Magic mushroomsTherearemanydifferenttypesofmagicmushrooms.ThemostcommononesinAustraliaarecalledgoldentops,bluemeaniesandlibertycaps.Magicmushroomslooksimilartopoisonousmushroomsthatcancauseyoutobecomeverysickanddie.

Magicmushroomsareusuallysoldasdriedmushrooms,apowderorascapsules.

Mushroomsareofteneatenfresh,cookedorbrewedintoatea.Theyaresometimesmixedwithtobaccooryarndi,andsmoked.

Mescaline (peyote cactus)Mescalineistheactiveingredientofthepeyotecactusplant.Itisalsoknowntobemadesyntheticallyinalab.

Initspureform,mescalinesulphateisawhitecrystal-likepowder.Syntheticmescalinecancomeindifferentcolours.Thepeyotecactuscontains‘buttons’thatcanbecutfromtherootoftheplantandthendriedbeforeeatingorsmokingthem.

Hallucinogens