Effects - The effect on tolerance of regular but spaced usage?

[Arthur Dent]

My towel was wondering whether tolerance to heroin can build up over a long period, if use was always separated by periods of non-use (long enough gaps to prevent withdrawals ever setting in.)

He understands from reading this forum that for addicts there is a 'chemical memory' which means that if a user gets clean and then goes back and attempts to chip, withdrawals start coming much sooner than they ever would for a new user.

Some examples of possible usage patterns:

• Using every weekend but never on weekdays
• Using every day for one week of each month but never on the other three weeks
• Using one week on, one week off (though perhaps this would be too much to avoid ever having withdrawals.)

He's wondering if the same applies to tolerance and whether a chipper who followed one of the schedules above would still see their tolerance gradually increase over a long period despite the regular gaps in usage.