How much use of methamphetamine is necessary before deleterious effects on the brain are apparent?
The short answer to your question is that no amount of methamphetamine is “safe.” The extent of the negative effects to the brain and how quickly those effects occur is based on many individual factors, such as genetics, environment, age, gender, amount and duration of use, and route of administration. Each of these factors, individually as well as combined, contributes to the harmful effects of any drug abused. Thus, it is possible that the consequences from the same amount of methamphetamine may differ significantly across individuals, thereby making it difficult, if not impossible, to quantify an amount of exposure at which the brain suffers long-term effects. Similarly, we cannot predict at what point in time or dosage an individual transitions from “controlled” drug abuse to compulsive addiction. That said, once a person starts using methamphetamine repeatedly, regardless of their initial vulnerability, the consequences can be devastating. Acute consequences of the drug include ca
