How it’s done:

This is a common method of use, often the way guys use crystal the first time. The shards of crystal are chopped up or crushed into a powder. The powder is inhaled into the nose through a straw, hollowed out ballpoint pen or, if you’re feeling old school and kinda disco, a rolled up bill. Once inside the nose and sinuses, the drug is absorbed by the blood vessels.

Time to get off:

about 3-5 minutes.

Things to watch out for:

The lining of the nasal passages is fairly delicate and can be injured easily. This can lead to nose bleeds, sinus trouble, and in some cases permanent damage to the nasal structure. Sharing straws or bills can transmit all types of germs from the common cold to possibly Hepatitis C (and theoretically HIV).

Strategies to reduce possible harms:

Chop it up fine, fine, fine! Big chunks in your nasal passages don’t get absorbed and can cause tissue damage.

Don’t share straws or bills.

If you’re trapped on a desert island and have to share a straw, clean between use.  At a certain point, snorting becomes an ineffective way of delivering the drug because the nasal passages can’t absorb any more of the drug due to congestion, over-use or tissue damage. It’s best not to snort speed like it’s coke – try to lengthen the time between hits. Or switch the way you do it and try swallowing it.