All drug use brings a risk of harm. The best way to stay safe is to plan, know your limits and how cocaine affects you. Go out with people you trust, and know how you are getting home, or where you are staying.
Using non-sterile or unclean equipment increases risk of infection.
Regular and heavy snorting can also badly damage the tissue on the inside of the nose. Use a sterile straw if snorting, and don't share it. Rinsing the inside of your nose both before and after snorting can decrease irritation.
If injecting, ensure surfaces and equipment are sterile. Always use filters to remove contaminants and use sterile water for mixing. Clean the part of the body you are injecting with an alcohol swab. Don’t share needles, syringes, spoons, swabs and filters.
Cocaine high wears off rapidly and there are strong cravings to use again and binge. Binging increases risk of overdose and increases likelihood of other harm, avoid carrying large amounts to prevent this.
Mixing drugs is always risky. It is difficult to predict how one drug will affect another in your system. Using cocaine can mask other feelings of intoxication and you may be unaware of how impaired you are. Especially avoid using alcohol alongside cocaine as it is very harmful for your liver and increases the likelihood of using more than you intend to.
