ABOUT METH
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug with potent central nervous system stimulant properties. In the 1960s, methamphetamine pharmaceutical products were widely available and extensively diverted and abused. The 1971 placement of methamphetamine into Schedule II of the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) and the removal of methamphetamine injectable formulations from the United States market, combined with a better appreciation for its high abuse potential, led to a drastic reduction in the abuse of this drug. However, a resurgence of methamphetamine abuse occurred in the 1980s and it is currently considered a major drug of abuse. The widespread availability of methamphetamine today is largely fueled by illicit production in large and small clandestine laboratories throughout the United States and illegal production and importation from Mexico. In some areas of the country (especially on the West Coast), methamphetamine abuse has outpaced both heroin and cocaine. *Information provided by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency
Meth comes in several forms
Powder, crystal, liquid, rocks, and tablets
Meth can be consumed in various ways
Snorting, smoking, swallowed, and injected
Street Names
Irritability, dizziness, or confusion Extreme anorexia
Tremors or even convulsions Perspiration odor similar to cat urine
Feel irritable and fatiguedGet headachesExperience anxiety
Elevate body temperature to dangerous, sometimes lethal, levelsCause convulsions
Meth Bugs
Sensation of insects creeping on or under the skinMeth users pick at and scratch these areas to find relief Can create open sores that become infected
Meth Mouth
Meth reduces the amount of protective saliva around the teeth. Meth users also consume excess sugared, carbonated soft drinks; tend to neglect personal hygiene, grind their teeth and clench their jaws, leading to what is commonly called “meth mouth.” Teeth can eventually fall out from users’ mouths—even as they do simple things like eat a sandwich.
Physiological Effects of Meth
Increased heart rateIncreased blood pressure, therefore risk of strokePossible irreversible damage to the blood vessels in the brainResearch suggests a disease between the heart muscle, called cardiomyopathy, and meth use. The research conducted at a medial research clinic in Hawaii reviewed charts of 107 patients ages 45 and younger discharged with a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy between 2001 and 2004. These patients were compared to 114 controls matched for age but discharged without evidence of heart trouble. After adjusting for age, body weight and renal failure, researchers found that the odds for cardiomyopathy were 3.7 fold higher in meth users than compared to non-meth users. Source: American Journal of Medicine, February 2007
Meth and the Brain
In the brain, dopamine plays a very important role in how we feel pleasure.Meth use causes the release of very high levels of dopamine into areas of the brain that regulate feelings of pleasure.
Meth produces long-lasting changes to brain areas that contain dopamine as well as serotonin, another neurotransmitter.Over time, meth reduces dopamine activity in certain brain areas, which is associated with reduced motor speed and impaired verbal learning.Psychotic behavior including paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, delusions and visual hallucinations Recent studies in chronic meth abusers have also revealed severe structural and functional changes in areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory.Methamphetamine abuse decreases dopamine transporter activity.
Meth is a highly addictive drug. As we have discussed, dopamine activity is seriously affected. Thus, the meth user needs more meth to feel good, and will continue to lose the ability to feel good. This leads continued abuse and addiction.
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug with potent central nervous system stimulant properties. In the 1960s, methamphetamine pharmaceutical products were widely available and extensively diverted and abused. The 1971 placement of methamphetamine into Schedule II of the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) and the removal of methamphetamine injectable formulations from the United States market, combined with a better appreciation for its high abuse potential, led to a drastic reduction in the abuse of this drug. However, a resurgence of methamphetamine abuse occurred in the 1980s and it is currently considered a major drug of abuse. The widespread availability of methamphetamine today is largely fueled by illicit production in large and small clandestine laboratories throughout the United States and illegal production and importation from Mexico. In some areas of the country (especially on the West Coast), methamphetamine abuse has outpaced both heroin and cocaine. *Information provided by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency
Meth comes in several forms
Powder, crystal, liquid, rocks, and tablets
Meth can be consumed in various ways
Snorting, smoking, swallowed, and injected
Street Names
Crank, Speed, Ice, Crystal, Tina, Chalk, Christy, and Go Fast
The active ingredient found in meth is pseudoephedrine or ephedrine, which is commonly found in cold medicine. Through the cooking process the pseudoephedrine or ephedrine is chemically changed into methamphetamine. Chemicals added to make this chemical process work include the following:
Starter fluidPaint thinnerFreonAcetoneAnhydrous ammonia
Iodine crystalsRed phosphorus
Brake cleanerDrain cleanerBattery acidLithium
Irritability, dizziness, or confusion Extreme anorexia
Tremors or even convulsions Perspiration odor similar to cat urine
Feel irritable and fatiguedGet headachesExperience anxiety
Elevate body temperature to dangerous, sometimes lethal, levelsCause convulsions
Meth Bugs
Sensation of insects creeping on or under the skinMeth users pick at and scratch these areas to find relief Can create open sores that become infected
Meth Mouth
Meth reduces the amount of protective saliva around the teeth. Meth users also consume excess sugared, carbonated soft drinks; tend to neglect personal hygiene, grind their teeth and clench their jaws, leading to what is commonly called “meth mouth.” Teeth can eventually fall out from users’ mouths—even as they do simple things like eat a sandwich.
Physiological Effects of Meth
Increased heart rateIncreased blood pressure, therefore risk of strokePossible irreversible damage to the blood vessels in the brainResearch suggests a disease between the heart muscle, called cardiomyopathy, and meth use. The research conducted at a medial research clinic in Hawaii reviewed charts of 107 patients ages 45 and younger discharged with a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy between 2001 and 2004. These patients were compared to 114 controls matched for age but discharged without evidence of heart trouble. After adjusting for age, body weight and renal failure, researchers found that the odds for cardiomyopathy were 3.7 fold higher in meth users than compared to non-meth users. Source: American Journal of Medicine, February 2007
Meth and the Brain
In the brain, dopamine plays a very important role in how we feel pleasure.Meth use causes the release of very high levels of dopamine into areas of the brain that regulate feelings of pleasure.
Meth produces long-lasting changes to brain areas that contain dopamine as well as serotonin, another neurotransmitter.Over time, meth reduces dopamine activity in certain brain areas, which is associated with reduced motor speed and impaired verbal learning.Psychotic behavior including paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, delusions and visual hallucinations Recent studies in chronic meth abusers have also revealed severe structural and functional changes in areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory.Methamphetamine abuse decreases dopamine transporter activity.
Meth is a highly addictive drug. As we have discussed, dopamine activity is seriously affected. Thus, the meth user needs more meth to feel good, and will continue to lose the ability to feel good. This leads continued abuse and addiction.