How to Start First Dose Missions: A Complete Guide

The sprawling, chaotic world of Los Santos is always evolving, pulling you into new ventures and introducing you to a cast of unforgettable characters. One of the most significant and rewarding recent additions is the Los Santos Drug Wars update, which all kicks off with a series of story-driven tasks. For many players, new and old, the first question that arises is how to start First Dose missions? This isn’t just another set of jobs; it’s your entry ticket into a lucrative new enterprise and a wild storyline involving a new crew called the Fooliganz.

This guide is your definitive, all-in-one resource, created to walk you through every step of the process with clarity. We will demystify the initial trigger, detail the first encounter, and provide a full walkthrough of each mission. Forget aimlessly driving around the map waiting for a random call. The journey of learning how to start First Dose missions is about taking control, and this article will provide the exact blueprint you need to dive headfirst into the psychedelic chaos of the Los Santos Drug Wars, finally answering your question of how to start First Dose missions.

The First Step: Triggering the Phone Call

The entire storyline begins not with a bang, but with a phone call. The first and most crucial step in the process of how to start First Dose missions is to receive a call from a familiar, jittery voice: Ron Jakowski.

• How it Works: To trigger this event, you simply need to be in a GTA Online session. Once you’ve been playing for a short while, Ron will call you. He’ll sound panicked, talking about some new “hippies” who have taken over Trevor’s old turf in Sandy Shores and asking you to check it out.
• What to Do: Once you answer this call, the game officially flags you as ready to begin. This phone call is the non-negotiable prerequisite, and everything else follows from this initial interaction. The entire process of how to start First Dose missions is locked until you receive and listen to Ron’s plea for help. This is the simple secret for how to start First Dose missions.

The Initial Rendezvous: Finding Ace Liquor

After you’ve ended the call with Ron, your map will update with a new icon. This is your first destination and the physical starting point for the mission chain. This is the practical answer for players asking how to start First Dose missions.

• Locate the ‘R’ on Your Map: Open your map and look for a large, yellow ‘R’ icon located in Sandy Shores. This icon represents Ron and is placed directly over the Ace Liquor store, a location familiar to anyone who has played through the main story.
• Travel to Sandy Shores: Make your way to the Ace Liquor store. As you approach, you will see a yellow mission corona (a glowing circle) in front of the building’s entrance.
• Step into the Corona: Walking into this yellow marker is the action that officially launches the first mission and introduces you to the eccentric leader of the Fooliganz, Dax.

This simple act of traveling to the designated spot and entering the mission marker is the final step in the initial setup. Once you do this, you have successfully figured out how to start First Dose missions and are thrown directly into the action. This is the physical action you must take when figuring out how to start First Dose missions.

The Six First Dose Missions: A Complete Walkthrough

The First Dose story is broken down into six distinct missions. Each one builds upon the last, deepening your involvement with Dax and his crew and culminating in the acquisition of a powerful new business. Completing all six is the ultimate goal for anyone who wants to know how to start First Dose missions and reap the full rewards. Let’s look at each step of the journey that follows after you figure out how to start First Dose missions.

First Dose 1 – Welcome to the Troupe

This mission serves as your chaotic introduction to the Fooliganz.

• The Setup: You meet Dax at Ace Liquor, but your meeting is immediately interrupted by an ambush from The Lost MC, who are not happy about the new crew on their turf.
• The Objective: Your primary goal is to fight off the attacking members of The Lost MC and then help Dax recover his stolen Journey II van, which the Fooliganz use as their mobile headquarters. This mission is a straightforward combat encounter that sets the tone for the rest of the storyline. It’s an action-packed introduction to what follows after you learn how to start First Dose missions.

First Dose 2 – Designated Driver

With the initial threat handled, Dax needs you to help him secure some supplies.

• The Setup: Dax sends you to the Terminal to pick up some supplies from a contact. As expected, things go sideways when The Lost MC shows up again to interfere.
• The Objective: After the deal goes bad, Dax decides it’s time to hit The Lost where it hurts. You will be tasked with raiding their clubhouse in East Vinewood and stealing their supplies instead. This mission involves more intense combat and a vehicle-based getaway. This mission solidifies your role with the crew, building on the initial steps of how to start First Dose missions.

First Dose 3 – Fatal Incursion

Now that you have the Fooliganz’s attention, Dax trusts you with a more complex operation.

• The Setup: Dax needs you to acquire a specific package of supplies and deliver it to his associates at Stab City, the well-known trailer park stronghold.
• The Objective: This mission requires you to infiltrate a hostile area, secure the package, and then make a daring escape. The climax of the mission involves flying a Dodo seaplane to deliver the goods and returning to the newly established Freakshop, which will serve as your new base of operations. This mission is a significant step up in complexity in the how to start First Dose missions series.

First Dose 4 – Uncontrolled Substance

This mission is a fan favorite and a significant departure from the standard combat formula.

• The Setup: This mission introduces you to the core product of the Los Santos Drug Wars: acid. Dax exposes you to the potent substance, triggering a series of bizarre and vivid hallucinations.
• The Objective: There is no traditional combat goal here. Instead, you must navigate a series of surreal, mind-bending sequences. You will find yourself in wildly different scenarios, experiencing the potent effects of the drug firsthand. The mission concludes when you “wake up” from your trip and find yourself at an Up-n-Atom Burger in Vinewood. It’s a unique and memorable part of the storyline. It showcases the creativity involved in this mission chain, making the process of how to start First Dose missions much more than a simple series of fetch quests.

First Dose 5 – Make War Not Love

With the psychedelic experience behind you, it’s time to get back to business and eliminate the competition.

• The Setup: Dax and the Fooliganz have identified a rival hippie operation in the Señora Desert Trailer Park that is cutting into their market share.
• The Objective: Your goal is pure destruction. You will be tasked with infiltrating the hippies’ operation, destroying their production equipment, and taking out their delivery vans. The mission then escalates, sending you to the Altruist Camp for even more destruction, ensuring their business is crippled. This aggressive move is a key part of the narrative that unfolds once you learn how to start First Dose missions.

First Dose 6 – Off the Rails

This is the grand finale of the First Dose mission chain and the one that unlocks your ultimate prize.

• The Setup: The Freakshop is established, but it’s not yet functional. To get the acid production business up and running, you need to acquire some heavy-duty equipment.
• The Objective: This mission is a large-scale heist. You must go to a train yard, steal various pieces of chemical equipment, and, most importantly, hijack an MTL Brickade 6×6, which is a large, armored truck. Once you successfully deliver the truck and the equipment to the Freakshop, you will have completed the First Dose storyline.

Successfully finishing this final mission is the culmination of the entire process that began when you first looked up how to start First Dose missions.

Replaying Missions and Post-Completion Benefits

Once you have completed the entire First Dose storyline as the host, you don’t have to start over to play them again. You can replay any of the individual missions at any time.

• How to Replay:
  1. Open your Pause Menu.
  2. Go to the “Online” tab.
  3. Select “Jobs,” then “Play Job.”
  4. Navigate to “Rockstar Created,” and then “Missions.”
  5. You will find all six First Dose missions listed here, and you can launch any of them directly.

The main benefit of completing the entire chain, however, is the full unlocking of the Freakshop and the MTL Brickade 6×6. After the “Off the Rails” mission, you will have the opportunity to purchase the Acid Lab upgrade for your Brickade 6×6 for $750,000. This turns the truck into a fully functional, mobile business that is one of the best solo money-makers in the entire game. The desire to unlock this business is the primary motivation for most players searching for how to start First Dose missions. Many players want to replay missions after they figure out how to start First Dose missions for the first time.

Troubleshooting: Why Can’t I Start the First Dose Missions?

Sometimes, players run into issues where the initial call from Ron doesn’t seem to trigger. If you’re struggling with how to start First Dose missions, here are a few common reasons and solutions. These tips should resolve most issues for players asking how to start First Dose missions.

• You Have Another “R” Icon on the Map: This is the most common issue. If you own a Hangar, you will already have a persistent “R” on your map for Ron’s hangar-related activities. The game’s logic sometimes prevents the new ‘R’ for the First Dose missions from appearing if another one is already active. The solution is often to simply spend more time in a freemode lobby until the call eventually overrides this.
• You Haven’t Waited Long Enough: The call is not always instantaneous. If you’ve just logged in, spend some time driving around, completing other small activities, or simply waiting in a session. The call from Ron should eventually come through.
• You’re Not in a Public Session: While you can play in Invite Only sessions, some scripted events are more reliable in a public lobby. If you’re having trouble, try switching to a public session to see if it triggers the call.

Patience is often the key when troubleshooting how to start First Dose missions. If the call doesn’t come right away, don’t get frustrated. Engage with other parts of the game, and it will likely trigger when you least expect it. This guide on how to start First Dose missions is here to help with those frustrating moments.

Final Thoughts: Your Gateway to the Acid Lab

The journey of learning how to start First Dose missions is more than just a series of tasks; it is your initiation into one of the most engaging and profitable storylines in recent GTA Online history. From a frantic phone call in the desert to a full-blown acid-fueled hallucination and a train yard heist, these six missions offer a fantastic blend of action, humor, and unique gameplay.

The ultimate prize, the Acid Lab, provides a consistent and powerful stream of passive income, making the entire endeavor well worth the effort. By understanding the simple trigger, the starting location, and the objectives of each mission, you can move from a state of confusion to one of confident action. The path that started with you asking how to start First Dose missions ends with you becoming a kingpin of the city’s drug trade. This guide has provided everything you need to know about how to start First Dose missions.