Common names - Ice, Speed and Base
Ice
As the name suggests, looks like colourless crystals (resembling ice) or crystalline powder
Product: Crystal methamphetamine hydrochloride.
Street names: Ice, meth, crystal, crystal meth, shabu, batu, d-meth, tina, and glass.
Symptoms: In the short term, Ice use can produce increased heart rate, hypertension (high blood pressure), irregular body temperature, increase breathing rate, constrict blood vessels and cause heart problems.
Longer-term users of the drug can typically appear older than their age and may have damaged teeth, skin lesions and greater risk of stroke, decreased lung function and poorer cognitive function. There are also studies that have shown the use of Ice is associated with brain and mental health conditions, including ruptured blood vessels in the brain, memory loss and psychosis.
Ice users are at risk of experiencing a drug-induced psychosis, they can become paranoid and hallucinate. A person can also become increasingly aggressive and exhibit violent behaviour possibly requiring chemical and physical restraint or police intervention.
There is a high risk of addiction, including through smoking. Damage can occur to lungs through smoking Ice, to the lining of the nose through snorting, and if injected it can lead to scarring, abscesses and vein damage.
Source - http://www.drugs.health.gov.au
Speed and Base
Product: Methamphetamine hydrochloride, amphetamine sulphate (powder, paste, liquid and pills).
Street names: Speed, whiz, go-ee, zip, oxblood, base, paste, pure, gas, meth/amphets.
Symptoms: Common responses to intoxication include euphoria, increased blood pressure and pulse rate, increased and irregular breathing and heartbeat, insomnia, loss of appetite and dilated pupils, confidence, increased energy, talkativeness and excitability.
These drugs can cause anxiety, restlessness, sweating, overheating, blurred vision, nausea and diarrhoea, jaw clenching and/or teeth grinding.
Long Term: sleep problems, dental problems (e.g., cracked teeth through grinding), weight loss, stroke or heart problems, high risk of dependence. Injecting the drug is also associated with a risk of contracting blood-borne viruses, like Hepatitis C and HIV.
Problems with attention and memory, paranoia and paranoid delusions, anxiety, panic attacks, hallucinations, depression, mood swings, aggression, violence, social and financial problems, compulsive repetition of actions, family arguments and conflict, the risk of family breakdown and losing friends.
Source - http://www.drugs.health.gov.au
