Methamphetamine is not what it seems.
Methamphetamine (meth) is a highly addictive, powerful stimulant that activates certain systems in the brain. It is closely related chemically to amphetamine, but the central nervous system effects of methamphetamine are greater. Both drugs have some limited therapeutic medical uses, primarily in the treatment of obesity.
In the short term, meth causes mind and mood changes such as anxiety, euphoria, and depression. Long-term effects can include chronic fatigue, paranoid or delusional thinking, and permanent psychological damage. It can also cause aggression and violent or psychotic behavior.
Methamphetamine also affects your body. Creating a false sense of energy, this drug pushes the body faster and further than it's meant to go. It increases the heart rate, blood pressure, and risk of stroke. An overdose of meth can result in heart failure. Long-term physical effects such as liver, kidney, and lung damage may also kill you.
The use of methamphetamine creates a buildup of dopamine, which results in a feeling of euphoria. Because meth stays in the brain longer than other stimulants like cocaine, the effects of its addiction last longer. This is one reason it is believed that meth is more addictive than cocaine or heroin. Meth’s addiction is associated with serious health problems such as memory loss, aggression, potential brain damage and contributes to increased transmission of hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.
There are a number of reasons that a person may develop an addiction to meth. For a student or athlete it may start because of the initial heightened physical and mental performance. A blue collar worker, for instance, may use it to stay up and work extra shifts. Young women often become addicted in order to lose weight. Methamphetamines are becoming a staple drug at raves or in the bars and clubs.
Methamphetamine is illegal in all states and highly dangerous.
Methamphetamine can kill you, your friends, and your family. For more information on meth treatment or any drug rehab treatment, please call: 1.888.484.1053 or visit our treatment section.
Street Names
Methamphetamine is also known as "speed" or "crystal" when it is swallowed or sniffed; as "crank" when it is injected; and as "ice" or "glass" when it is smoked.
Other names:
Chalk, Croak, Crypto, Crystal, Fire, Glass, Tweek, White Cross.
Ice is clear chunky crystal form of meth that resembles "ice."
Traditionally, Asian-produced ice was almost exclusively found in Guam, Hawaii, and parts of California; however, increased domestic production of this form of methamphetamine has increased availability to several other areas of the country previously untouched by exposure to ice.
YABA: Thai for "crazy medicine," Yaba, a methamphetamine tablet, has been appearing in the United States. The pills are a combination of the stimulants methamphetamine and caffeine. Yaba tablets are sometimes flavored (grape, orange, and vanilla): tasting like candy, the tablets are obviously marketed to a young audience, particularly at rave’s or parties where Ecstasy (a similar looking drug) has been well established. The tablets are commonly reddish-orange or green, and fit inside the end of a drinking straw. They have a variety of logos, with “WY” the most common. Methamphetamine pills are normally ingested orally, although they can be crushed into powder and administered.
How is Methamphetamine Used?
Methamphetamine comes in many forms and can be smoked, snorted, orally ingested, or injected. The preferred method of use varies among geographical regions, and the drug alters moods in different ways, depending on how it is taken. This powerfully addictive stimulant is associated with serious health conditions, including memory loss, aggression, psychotic behavior, and potential brain damage; it also contributes to increased transmission of hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.
All forms of methamphetamine are extremely dangerous and induce long-lasting, debilitating effects.
Background
Meth was developed in 1919 by a Japanese chemist and was used in World War II to help soldiers stay awake and energized. Even then, abuse of this drug occurred. Methamphetamines are still prescribed in the United States today for the treatment of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and obesity. It is prescribed with great caution due to the highly addictive nature of the drug which leads to meth abuse.
In the 1950's the United States legally manufactured Methedrine (methamphetamine tablets) and meth became readily available to college students, truck drivers and athletes. As use of amphetamines spread, so did the abuse. In the 1970 the Controlled Substances Act increased restriction on producing injectable methamphetamine due to its potential for abuse.
Methamphetamine abuse, long reported as the dominant drug problem in the San Diego, CA, area, has become a substantial drug problem in other sections of the West and Southwest, as well. There are indications that it is spreading to other areas of the country, including both rural and urban sections of the South and Midwest. Methamphetamine, traditionally associated with white, male, blue-collar workers, is being used by more diverse population groups that change over time and differ by geographic area.
According to the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, an estimated 8.8 million people (4.0 percent of the population) have tried methamphetamine at some time in their lives.
Data from the 2000 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), which collects information on drug-related episodes from hospital emergency departments in 21 metropolitan areas, reported that methamphetamine-related episodes increased from approximately 10,400 in 1999 to 13,500 in 2000, a 30 percent increase. However, there was a significant decrease in methamphetamine-related episodes reported between 1997 (17,200) and 1998 (11,500).
Where is it Currently Made?
Illicit methamphetamine, which is almost exclusively methamphetamine hydrochloride, is sold in powder, ice, and tablet forms. Powder methamphetamine, the most common form available in the United States, is produced domestically and also is smuggled into the country from Mexico. Two-thirds of our country's meth supply is produced in super labs in Mexico and Southern California run by organized crime and street gangs. The remaining third is made in the U.S. in makeshift meth labs found in basements, kitchens, garages, bedrooms, barns, vacant buildings, campgrounds, hotels and motels and trunks of cars.
How is it Made?
Meth is made from a fairly simple recipe found on the internet and can be produced in as few as 6 to 8 hours using apparatus and cookware that can be quickly dismantled and stored or relocated to avoid detection. Some of the ingredients commonly used to make meth are over-the-counter cold medications containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, red phosphorous, hydrochloric acid, anhydrous ammonia, drain cleaner, battery acid, lye, lantern fuel, and antifreeze. The fumes, vapors, and spillage associated with cooking meth can be toxic and explosive – and hazardous to children, adults and the environment.
Toxicity to the Environment:
Did you know that 1lb of meth = 5 lbs of toxic waste? Making meth produces toxic waste. One in five sites is discovered only because of a chemical explosion. Law enforcement officers who raid drug labs are required to have special training to handle these hazardous materials. Cleaning up a meth lab requires hazardous waste protection and can cost thousands of dollars. In 2004, more than 10,000 meth lab cleanups cost more than $18.6 million. Leftover chemicals from the methamphetamine labs have been found on highways, in parks and forests, groundwater, and sewer systems. The residue from the drug manufacturing poses long-term hazards to communities especially in agricultural areas.
"What are the Side Effects of Methamphetamine Usage?
