Ice, or crystal methamphetamine, is a type of It is a drug and synthetic which means it is not a natural product. It typically comes in three different forms (ice, base and speed) that vary in their strength and the way they look.

• Ice

  

  WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

  Translucent crystals, sometimes shards.

  Also known as

  Crystal meth, meth, shabu, tina, glass.

  METHOD OF USE

  Smoking (e.g. with a glass pipe), injecting.

  Potency

  (How strong)

  LowMediumHigh

• Base

  

  WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

  Dampish, ‘gluggy’ substance. Colour varies from white to brown.

  Also known as

  Pure, point, wax, meth.

  METHOD OF USE

  Swallowing, injecting.

  Potency

  (How strong)

  LowMediumHigh

• Speed

  

  WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

  White or off-white powder.

  Also known as

  Goey, meth.

  METHOD OF USE

  Snorting, swallowing, injecting.

  Potency

  (How strong)

  LowMediumHigh

The effects of ice differ slightly from speed and base because it is often stronger and gives a longer lasting ‘high’. Because of this, it also has more serious side effects, both during use and in the 'comedown' or ‘crash’ after use. Ice has a greater potential for people to become on using it, which can create long-term physical and mental health problems.

 Ice is usually sold in points (which means 0.1 of a gram) or grams, and can be cut (mixed) with other substances. This reduces its and makes the effects even harder to predict.