Do men and women in Australia use different forms of meth/amphetamine?
Among Australians who used meth/amphetamine† in the past 12 months, the most commonly used form for both men and women was crystal methamphetamine (ice), followed by speed. Men were more likely than women to use ice, while women were more likely than men to use speed.
55% of Australian men who used methamphetamine in the past 12 months used crystal/ice as their main form, 15% used speed/powder, 13%* used prescription amphetamines, 11%* used tablets, 4%** used capsules, and 1%** used base/paste/pure.
41% of Australian women who used methamphetamine in the past 12 months used crystal/ice as their main form, 29% used speed/powder, 16%* used prescription amphetamines, 6%* used tablets, 7%** used capsules, and 0.6%** used base/paste/pure.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NCETA Secondary analysis, 2021).
† Meth/amphetamine: This term covers a range of stimulant drugs including methamphetamine and amphetamine. The National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) described meth/amphetamine as including drugs commonly known as speed, ice, crystal, whizz, Ritalin, or pseudoephedrine-based cold and flu tablets.
* Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
** Estimate has a relative standard error greater than 50% and is considered too unreliable for general use.
Please note: Percentages may not tally to 100% due to rounding. For the purposes of this FAQ, ‘ice’ refers to the crystalline form of meth/amphetamine commonly known as ice. ‘Speed’ includes powder, tablet, and capsule forms of meth/amphetamine; ‘base’ includes base, paste, and pure; and ‘other’ includes liquid, prescription amphetamines (for non-medical purposes), and other forms of meth/amphetamine.