Excessive and repeated use of Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS) can quickly build up a persons tolerance, and can eventually develop into dependence. Tolerance can grow quickly with repeated use, meaning that the intensity of the experience/high from the same dose of the drug is reduced. With stimulants, the human body can generally handle a higher dose than it can with depressant drugs such as Benzodiazepines or Heroin, which helps lead to the build up a person’s tolerance.

Dependency to ATS, in particular Methamphetamines can develop very quickly according to:

• The purity of the drug
• The severity of the person’s use
• How the drug is used/ method of administration
• The type/form of the drug (Ice, base, or powder)

Heavy or frequent use of Ice, which is more potent than other forms of amphethamphetamine, can lead to dependency much quicker than with base or powder.

People who inject ATS drugs tend to have a higher dependency than those who smoke, snort or eat it. Most of the focus group agreed that:

Once you've injected ice you will never go back to any other way.

Anyone thinking of injecting ATS as a method of administration should consider the consequences and other options. Injecting ATS is dangerous and causes considerable harm.

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