Make a SQL statement not run trigger

Is it possible to run an insert,update, or delete and have it not launch 
a trigger like it normally would?

For example could I set a value
DONOTRUN = True;
insert into contacts ....

Where the trigger on contacts would call a function that would have an 
IF statment for that DONOTRUN value?

Or is there just a global variable I could set to disable triggers and 
then reset it? And would that be a per connection variable?

Thanks