Why does tolerance matter for safety?
- By Robert Mauer
- Reviewed by: Dr. Janaka Hanvey, PhD
Tolerance matters for safety because it affects how the body responds to a given dose. As tolerance develops, larger amounts may be needed to achieve the same effect, which can narrow the margin between intended and dangerous dosing.
Tolerance does not develop evenly across all effects. In many cases, tolerance to desired effects develops faster than tolerance to harmful effects such as respiratory depression.
This mismatch can increase overdose risk even as the person perceives greater control over use.
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Sources
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA):
https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/addiction-science
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
https://www.cdc.gov/overdose/prevention/index.html
National Institutes of Health (NIH):
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK27946/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):
https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use