How it’s done:

The drug is heated in a glass pipe, bowl or stem until it becomes gaseous (“smoke”). It’s then inhaled into the lungs. The “smoke” enters the blood stream via the lungs.

Time to get off:

about 7-10 seconds.

Things to watch out for:

Smoke of any kind irritates the lungs. Prolonged irritation can lead to breathing difficulties and coughing. People with asthma, emphysema, and other lung problems are particularly at risk for these effects. If you’re smoking speed, you’ re going to end up consuming larger quantities of the drug much faster than if you are snorting or swallowing. Keep in mind, the time to get off is much quicker and the high is more intense than when swallowing or snorting speed.

Strategies to reduce possible harms:

Before you hit the pipe, decide how much product you’re going to use. And then stick to that amount. Too challenging, you say? Maybe you can try to decrease the frequency of hitting the pipe after your first hit.