Using alone can mean there is nobody nearby to notice if you become seriously unwell.
If you use substances alone, it may be helpful to think about:
- whether somebody you trust knows where you are;
- whether there is anybody you could contact if you begin to feel unwell;
- how you would call emergency services;
- whether your pattern of use has previously involved loss of consciousness or overdose;
- whether specialist harm-reduction advice would help.
This is not about judging the decision to use. It is about making sure you have thought about what happens if something goes wrong.