Watching “Cops” it appears to me that the two dead giveaways in identifying a meth-head are the individual’s appearance and their posession of a glass pipe. Why smoke it and risk arrest by carrying a pipe? Why not just ingest it orally? Smoking something non organic must not be pleasant, so why is it the delivery method of choice?
My guess would be that it goes to your head faster. (Wrong?)
Greater “rush”, and better biovailability. You do realize that cocaine is active orally, and doesn’t have to be snorted or inhaled, right? Also, while eating cocaine is damn rare, taking meth orally is in fact quite common.
Because smoking is the quickest way (besides main-lining it) to the high. It can also be snorted, but it burns like the dickens. When ingested orally, it has to be absorbed by the body by way of digestion, which takes longer.
I spent a bit of time deep in the underbelly of the meth scene for a few months once about 11 years ago. But I was researching for a film role…really
I don’t know that it’s the delivery method of choice. The short period of time in which I was able to observe several people doing meth, only one smoked it with any regularity and even then she usually snorted it.
Smoking it (which must be extraordinarily nasty) gives users a more intense high of a much shorter duration – much like freebasing cocaine with ether or smoking the crack form does, compared with insufflation or oral dosing.
Continuing the analogy with cocaine, some people shoot the damned stuff intravenously, which of course has a quick hit and a long duration.
Also, many meth smokers don’t carry pipes. They use whatever’s at hand – commonly such aesthetically-pleasing and safety-conscious devices such as a combination of a broken light-bulb and a ball-point pen with the ink-cartridge removed.
None of these methods are advised for anyone wishing to retain their teeth, their marbles, or their liberty.
Nope. It shortens the duration.
:smack: I wasn’t thinking of the time delay if ingested orally. I was thinking in terms of wanting to get high not needing to.
Compared with insufflation?
I guess that make sense, because it’s immediately available in the blood to be metabolized, instead of gradually passing through the mucosa.
Sorry.
[/can’t stand to be around needles]
Because it ruins your life much more quickly that way. If you snort it all the time your nose and teeth will rot. And, you turn into a wild eyed zombie who thinks they can keep a job. If you smoke it you forget the word “job”.
Everyone I knew always snorted meth, it burns for a bit but’s far better.
Before this one goes off track, I’ll close it. I think the OP was sufficiently answered.
samclem GQ moderator