The special show “Full Risk: Mixed Consumption” by the Addiction Aid Foundation invites you to show the phenomenon of mixed consumption, discuss it and test your own risk behavior: Visitors have the opportunity to mix substances themselves.
Mixed consumption basically means consuming several psychoactive substances at the same time or in quick succession. For a few years now, the mixed use of several medications or medications with alcohol, cannabis and other drugs has been a dangerous trend among young people.
Upper and downer
Researchers speak of a “terrifying extent”. “The inhibition threshold has fallen,” says Regine Rust, managing director of the St.Gallen Addiction Aid Foundation. The focus is on the combination of medication and other substances such as cocaine and alcohol. The painkillers, sedatives and drive-enhancing drugs are dangerous on their own – taking them together with other drugs can be life-threatening.
Mixed consumption is often motivated by the social environment. In nightlife, teenagers and young adults often mix things up wildly. For many, the consumption of these different substances is a “normal” outcome. Consumers are getting younger and they are increasingly consuming in private or alone. Obtaining prescription medication is child’s play on the Internet and Darknet. There is a risk of getting counterfeit medications with other ingredients.
Body and psyche
Mixed consumption puts more strain on the body than mono-consumption. The consequences of combining different substances are much less easy to estimate. The cumulative effect usually does not correspond to the sum of the individual effects. Depending on the substance, the respective effect increases many times over. The body and mind may be put under extreme strain. The users are not aware that the dangerous interactions occur quickly and unnoticed.
The Addiction Support Foundation will be present at OFFA from April 17 to 21, 2024 with its special show “Full Risk: Mixed Consumption” in Hall 9.1A. Visitors can expect an insight into the dangers and problems of various forms of consumption, which only become apparent at second glance. It’s worth taking a look.