Tips & Tricks

• You may change your mind many times during the night, but from the perspective of lowering risk before going out, you should choose among different possibilities: Are you going just to a single venue? Are you going around to different venues? Or are you going on an adventure and will decide as the night goes on?
• Another approach you can use when you go out to party is: Are you going alone? With a partner? With work colleagues? With calmer friends or with friends who like to party more?
• You have to think about how you're getting there: In public transport or in a private vehicle?. If it's a private vehicle, it’s important to know whether you are going with others and who is going to drive.
• In terms of your expectations of the night before going out, you can also think about: What are we going to do? Are we going to dance? To talk? To flirt? Are we going to consume alcohol? Perhaps other drugs?

These reflections make sense from the standpoint of lowering risk by avoiding undesired, unexpected circumstances and not letting yourself get carried away and ending up in places or situations or with people that you hadn't thought about initially and that may not be good for you. Once you have thought about these questions a bit, this will help you prepare a few things before going out to party..

• First of all, it's not a bad idea to get a calendar and look at what you have on your schedule the next day in order to decide what time you should come back home. If you have lunch with your family or have to work a lot tomorrow, or if you have exams throughout the week, you may want to come home early and not consume as much..
• Secondly, the time has come to gather some information either on the Internet or from other sources. It's a good idea to find out:
  • The exact address of the night spot and the way you are getting there. You can check the Q de Festa! venues in your city or find them on other nightlife websites like www.tillate.com, www.revivelanoche.es or www.nadafool.com
  • The viable public transport alternatives.
  • How to get promotions or discounts on cover charges. You can use the website www.Qdefesta.cat/promocions, but Facebook and Twitter are often used by night spots to announce promotions.
  • Any doubts or questions you may have about sexuality.
  • The effects and risks of drug consumption.
• Remember that it's important to eat dinner before going out. You shouldn't stuff yourself completely, but you should have a full meal. That will help you avoid an upset stomach during the night. Plus, alcohol (and other drugs) will go to your head more slowly and your hangover the next day will be easier..
• If you're going out with others, you should negotiate travel before starting. The most practical option is always public transport, but there are places that aren't well connected and it may be difficult to find a good combination. If you have to take a car, your best bet is for someone in the group to buck up and not consume. Some venues have their own transport to and from the city or town.
• What should you take with you?
  • The more money you are carrying, the more likely you are to spend it. If it's easy for you to get carried away but what you really want to do is go to bed early, it's better to take very little money and leave your credit card in the drawer.
  • Remember not to leave anything important. For girls, for example, this includes tampons and pads or yourself or to lend to a friend. If you consume any type of substance, be sure to take everything you need to consume safely, hygienically and with the lowest risks (cylinders, filters, saline solution...). Sometimes it’s a good idea to bring a toothbrush and toothpaste. Who knows what the night may hold?
  • To prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, always carry condoms, an IUD or other contraceptive barriers or to avoid STDs... And that goes for both guys and girls! Condoms are a matter for both of you! Remember that in order for the condom not to break, it should be stored in a very accessible place and incorporated as part of foreplay. It's easier to put it on during oral sex than just before penetration. If you're the kind of person who believes that they lower sensitivity, remember that there are many different kinds of condoms in different sizes and shapes for optimal adaptation. On the other hand, there is also the female condom, which is placed in the vagina (or rectum) instead of being placed on the penis. If you forgot to bring condoms from home and it looks like you may get lucky that night, you can find them in all the Q de Festa! venues.
  • People who consume drugs, either alcohol or any other, should know their own limits and always respect others’ decisions regarding their own consumption. Some people resort to consuming psychoactive substances when they go out to party. Besides all the effects and risks of these substances, how and where you buy them can also create additional risks. Substances acquired in the venue itself tend to be low quality, adulterated (cut), more expensive and riskier to buy, as you run the risk of being expelled from the venue or having problems with the law. Pay attention to whom you buy from and who they buy from! Remember that it's also possible to analyse the content of certain substances (Energy Control) and that before taking anything you should inform yourself about its effects and risks.

Caring for yourself and having fun is easier if you check three factors:

• How you are doing: It’s important to listen to yourself and care for your own body.
  • Wearing clothing suited to the temperature of the venue will lower sweating and body temperature and increase your comfort . Some Q de Festa! venues have a coat-check service which allows you to forget about your extra clothing while you dance and then get it back when you leave.
  • If you don't feel well, you are having trouble breathing, your heart is racing, you feel anxiety or paranoia or are having a ‘bad trip’, pay special attention to yourself, regardless of whether you have consumed drugs, because these are clear warning signs. It is recommendable to rest awhile, get away from stimuli like music, lights and crowds and get some fresh air. Some Q de Festa! venues have Chill Out areas where you can relax, and if the feeling still won’t go away, it's important to tell your friends and the staff at the venue .
  • If you're a real party animal and go out partying a lot, the generic risks that may arise are joined by hearing problems. The latest trend among ‘techno-sybarites’ in Europe is to wear earplugs. They lower the sound impact and filter out the sounds that are the most harmful for the ears without lowering the sense of the power of the sound, which is guaranteed by the low notes from the subwoofer. On the other hand, when worn in music venues, these earplugs hardly impede communication and are useful both for people going out to party and for the staff of the venue (waiters, workers, etc.).
• What you consume: Be certain about how, when and what you are taking .
  • Everyone knows that you should only consume what you want when you want . However, sometimes, perhaps because you are given the substances, encouraged or even challenged, you may end up consuming when you shouldn't, or when you don't want to simply because it’s too hard to say no. Maintaining control and keeping track of the times and amounts of drugs consumed (alcohol or others) will lower both the risks and your hangover the next day.
  • The human body is approximately 80% water. Exercise, high temperatures and alcohol are factors that lead to dehydration. It is very important to drink water (or other alcohol-free liquids) frequently in order to re-hydrate yourself .
  • The energy needed for your body to function optimally comes primarily from food. When you are working, studying or playing sport (or doing any other activity), you should eat every 6 to 8 hours. At night, when you are resting, you can easily go 12 hours without eating. However, if you are out partying , even at night, it's as if you were going to work! You have to eat before going out and at least nibble a bitduring the night to avoid punishing your body. You don't want to go back home and go to sleep on an empty stomach.
• What you’re doing: Lots of things happen at night and sometimes it’s hard to control certain reactions:
  • Conflicts, discrimination and violence. Drugs like alcohol and cocaine may facilitate the appearance of violent behaviours and conflicts, and drugs are certainly disinhibiting; in consequence, if a person is predisposed to aggressiveness or is particularly tense or stressed, they may end up becoming violent. It is important to avoid violent people, and especially to avoid becoming violent yourself. This is why it's important to know yourself and not get into situations that could bring out the worst in you. You're going out to have fun and not to have regrets or ruin other people’s nights. A fight ruins the night for the people who are fighting, for their friends and for everyone around them.
  • Plastered, out-of-control behaviours. Some drugs (especially alcohol) have the ability to rid you of your inhibitions to such an extent that you become unable to control your behaviour, emotions or what you are doing or saying. This could mean that you say things you didn’t mean to say to people you didn’t need to say them to, and that sometimes you endlessly repeat yourself, turning into that clichéd annoying drunk person. If this happens with friends, it doesn’t usually have serious consequences (at most, the next day they may not tell you if they go out or even stop going out with you because they don’t have fun), but when the victim of your annoying behaviour is the opposite sex and/or a stranger (especially a female), things get more complicated. The implications range from losing any opportunity for a relationship with that person to making them feel uncomfortable or harassed , and that cannot be tolerated .
  • Antisocial behaviour. Sometimes, you might do something at night that you would never do during the day. Concealed under the cover of night without too many people on the street, you may be capable of peeing in a doorway, upturning fences at construction sites, breaking rubbish bins or climbing light posts. However, you would be unlikely to act out these behaviours during the day before everyone's eyes. Even though some of these may seem like fun, the risks make them not worth it. When thinking rationally, the economic cost of vandalism, the trouble it causes residents and the risks that you may get caught and fined (fine + repair cost) should surely make you think twice about doing them
  • Not wanting to stop: Remember that you have to leave at some point. Sometimes it’s hard to find the right time to stop, and if you’ve consumed certain drugs, it’s even harder! The best thing is to go back home when you want to and not to stay only because your friends are asking you to. It’s often difficult to leave the party, but it’s important to listen to your own body and learn to stop when you’ve had enough.

Care for your friends and help them have fun.

• Being attentive to your friends’ behaviours and knowing where they are, what they have taken and how they feel will help you make the night better for everyone. You can avoid trouble and problems. Asking ‘How do you feel?’ or ‘Is everything going OK?’ every now and then is simple as pie and has a reassuring, pleasant effect.
• If problems arise and some of your friends need help, it's very important to inform the person helping them what substances they have taken and how much. Lying in these cases can only aggravate the situation. Remember that the emergency telephone number is 112 and that the staff at Q de Festa! venues are trained to help you properly and safely in these cases.

• Once the party is over and you have decided to leave, take a breath and try to think clearly. Determine what state you and your friends are in. Q de Festa! venues have methods to calculate your blood alcohol rate which can help you to decide whether or not to drive.
• Your best bet is to make sure that every night there is someone who promises not to drink and that this person drives home. If not, and if you're doubting whether or not to drive, it's always better not to do so and to go back home in public transport. Q de Festa! venues have all the information you need about public transport in their area.
• Your body has to recover,and the best way to do this is by eating healthy and, if necessary, drinking plenty of water and sleeping as much as you need. Sometimes, the day after (or even several hours after) a fun party you're not hungry, nothing sits well in your stomach, you're not thirsty and it's hard to sleep. In these situations, try to use your willpower to take care of your body by eating even if you're not hungry, drinking water and laying down, even if you don't fall asleep: the simple act of lying down is restful in itself.
• Is important to meet your obligationslike work, studying, appointments or family meals that you have the day after partying, as failing to meet them could lead to problems and troubles in your family, failed classes, broken sentimental relationships and dismissals from work. It's not worth turning your back on such important things after a wild night out.
• The next day, in addition to discussing any little ‘feats’ with your friends, it's a good idea to analyse whether you behaved in any way that you don't think is acceptable, whether you spent the amount of money you had planned, whether you consumed appropriately or went overboard... in short, whether you met your expectations and whether you can do anything to make the next round of partying much better!