Ice (Methamphetamines)

Ice is a stimulant which means it speeds up the messages between your brain and your body. It comes as shards of clear crystals that look like ice, or as a white or brownish crystal-like powder. Using Ice makes you feel really energetic and up, it can give feelings of exhilaration and alertness as well as agitation and paranoia. Ice has stronger side effects than other methamphetamines, the high is very intense as are the comedowns.

OTHER NAMES:

Meth, crystal, crystal meth, rock, Crack, shabu, tina, glass, crank, yaba, frosty, or shard, crystal methamphetamine.

FACTS TO KNOW:

• Ice can be smoked, swallowed, snorted, injected or inserted anally (known as ‘shafting’ or ‘shelving’). It can also be heated on aluminum foil to inhale the vapours.
• Using Ice can give feelings of exhilaration and alertness as well as agitation and paranoia.
• Ice causes a big release of dopamine which is a chemical in your brain that gives feelings of motivation, pleasure and satisfaction.
• It can take 2- 10 days to replace these dopamine stores and this is what causes a “comedown”.
• When coming down you might feel irritable, exhausted and need to sleep a lot, experience low mood and you may find it difficult to concentrate.

DURATION

• You may feel the effects almost immediately after smoking or after around 30 seconds if injected.
• Onset can take longer if swallowed (15 – 20 minutes) or snorted (3 – 5 minutes).
• The effects of using Ice will peak from 2-4 hours after use.
• Ice stays in your body for 12 hours, though after the effects wear off you might experience quite a severe comedown which can last a few days.
• In the context of testing: Ice may show up in your urine for 1- 4 days after using, 12 – 24 hours in your blood and in your saliva for 1 – 3 days. All these amounts are longer if you’re using frequently.

If you use ice, make sure you know these ways to be as safe as possible.

STAYING AS SAFE AS YOU CAN:

• Take breaks from using
• Try and maintain a healthy diet and get plenty of rest when not using
• If injecting use safe injecting practices
• Drink water
• Plan for the comedown
• Have ‘safe’ people to call in case of feelings of paranoia or panic
• Consider testing what you’re taking so you know what it is exactly
• If you’ve had too much ice (overdose), you might feel pretty panicky, have difficulty breathing, or have a very high body temperature. – You may even experience methamphetamine psychosis.
• Call an ambulance if an overdose is suspected

OVERDOSE:

If you’ve had too much Ice, you might feel pretty panicky, have difficulty breathing, or have a very high body temperature. You may even experience methamphetamine psychosis. An ambulance should be called if anything like this happens.

Want more information on ICE, amphetamines or methamphetamines check out Harm Reduction Victoria and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation fact sheets

Or there’s this article from ADF in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers that has more information.