How long will my drugs last?

No matter your goals with your drug use, it’s important to know how long what you’re taking will stick around, so you don’t overdo it. Many drugs are still in your system awhile after you feel the effects wear off, so it’s essential you know a bit more about what’s happening to reduce risk, prevent overdose and avoid legal drama such as roadside drug test detection.

How long your drug lasts is vary dependent on what strength you took, how much you took, your body size & weight, your tolerance and what else is in your system, so this is very much a rough guide and not a rule of thumb.

ONSET, PEAK & DURATION:

Every drug has its own length of time that it takes to start working (onset), to get to max effect (peak) and to pass through and out of your body (duration). Some drugs have a fast onset, peak and duration; others take longer to kick in or stick around longer. How you take the drug has a big effect on the timings, for example if you smoke it or inject it.

Many people also talk about ‘half life’ which is the time it takes for the drug in your body to be reduced by half. You may not feel the full strength of what you took anymore, and feel like you need to top up, but it’s still processing out so if you take more you will not be starting from zero.

Check out our drug facts articles here for more information on the timings for your drug/s of choice.

HARM REDUCTION:

• When someone has been using the same drug for awhile, and built up a tolerance, the effect they feel may not be as strong, but the substance is still there even if feels like the effects wore off. It’s really important to know how long your substance will stick around so you don’t try to top up then take too much and overdose! Read our article on helping a friend so you know what to do if they get themself into an unsafe situation
• If you’re trying something new, take a smaller amount to begin.
• If you feel like you’re a seasoned expert, we always recommend using with others so there is someone to look out for you if something goes wrong.