Acid

What's the Score?

Acid is also known as LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) or a trip.

It's a psychedelic and hallucinogenic drug, meaning it changes how you see reality. LSD is made from a fungus and comes in very small squares of blotting paper or card (called tabs).

30-60 minutes after an acid tab's swallowed its effects start, peaking in the first two to five hours and lasting up to 12 hours.

Sex on Acid

LSD can make you feel horny, heighten your sense of touch and hallucinations can be erotic. Sex on acid can seem to last much longer than it actually does.

Becase the drug can lower your inhibitions and change how you see reality, it might be easier to act out sexual fantasties. Lower inhibitions can also cloud your judgement about safer sex.

Because there's always a risk of a bad trip, sex on LSD is best done with someone you know well and trust.

Taking Acid

Where you are and how you feel can affect whether you have a good or a bad trip. So it's better to avoid crowds or places you don't know or don't feel safe in. Because a knock at the door, the phone ringing, etc. can freak you out, it's a good idea to have someone you trust staying with you when you're tripping.

Highs and Lows

Acid makes you see colours more intensely, patterns appear (with your eyes open or shut), things might seem to move or melt, you can hallucinate, feel you're floating and time seems to slow down. You might feel you're seeing a new reality and getting a different understanding of life.

No two acid trips are the same. It's a very unpredictable drug; the effects depend on the amount of drug in the tab, your mood when you take it and your surroundings.

A bad trip can't be stopped and frightening hallucinations can last hours.

Some people on LSD have no sense of danger and can put themselves or other people at major risk of harm.

A Long Term Relationship?

Using acid for a long time can cause paranoia and schizophrenia-type mental illness.

Weeks, months or years after taking LSD you might get panic attacks or flashbacks (when parts of your trip are relived).

Acid with Other Drugs

Anti-depressants - these can lower or boost the effect of LSD. Some anti-depressants (and the drugs lithium) can make the effect of the drug a lot stronger and cause dangerous reactions. Check with a doctor before taking acid if you're on these other drugs.

Because of how strong and unpredictable acid can be, mixing it with other chems isn't a good idea at all.

HIV drugs - there are no known dangerous interactions.

Useful to Know

If someone's having a bad trip, take them somewhere quiet and reassure them the drug will wear off in a few hours. But if they get out of control, get medical help.

Acid can trigger mental health problems or make them worse. So it's best avoided by people with these, including depression or anxiety.

The Law

LSD is a Class A drug.

Possession can mean up to seven years in prison and/or an unlimited fine.

Intending to supply (including giving to mates) can mean up to life in prison and/or an unlimited fine.