Reducing the harm
The Drug Foundation’s message is clear: no drug use is the safest drug use. However, we know there will be occasions when people ignore warnings and use drugs in a dangerous manner. To help keep communities safe we therefore provide information about proven methods of drug harm reduction.
Methamphetamine can stimulate excessive physical activity leading to overheating. Users should always ensure they drink a lot of fluids, though care should be taken not to drink too many fluids as this can cause brain swelling, convulsions, coma and even death. As a guide, people using methamphetamine who are active should drink 500mls of water each hour and avoid drinking alcohol which dehydrates the body further.
Do not combine drugs. Combining drugs, even with legal substances such as alcohol can cause unpredictable effects. In the worst cases these can include coma, convulsions, seizures, dehydration and even death.
Along with lowered inhibitions, methamphetamine increases sexual desire and the ability to have sex for longer periods. This can often lead to people disregarding the potential dangers of unprotected sex, which contributes to the spread of sexually transmitted infections. Protect yourself – always use a condom during sex.
Using too much methamphetamine can keep the user awake for days, causing severe irritability and volatility, making the negative effects of the drug even worse. Methamphetamine should not be taken for extended periods.
Studies show that shared straws (used for sniffing or ‘snorting’) can cause the spread of blood borne diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis as a result of blood and mucus left on the straw. Utensils used for snorting methamphetamine or other drugs should not be shared.
Some people use methamphetamine intravenously. Infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and HIV, and skin infections are significant risks when injecting drugs. Always use clean needles obtained from a needle exchange service to minimise the risk of contracting an infectious disease or skin condition.
Never share needles, syringes or other injecting equipment.
Unsanitary injecting environments also increase the risk of contracting infections. It is important that ones hands and the site of injection is clean. This will help reduce the risk of infection.
