Man Dies After Years of Documented Meth Use

A 35 year old Missouri man died yesterday after using the drug Methamphetamine for years and speaking out about its dangers.

Shawn Bridges passed away with his father Jack at his side. His dad said while it was extremely painful to watch his son ruin his life and suffer for so long, he knows he made the best of his addiction by documenting his drug use in an effort to help others. Shawn hoped his story would sway people away from the highly dangerous but popular meth.

Meth orMethamphetamine is a very addictive and deadly man-made drug. It is considered a psychostimulant and makes the user feel euphoric, happy and excited. It is extremely addictive and without it dependants may feel sick, naseous and have horrible cravings as well as depression when they come off of it.

Meth became increasingly popular for recreations drug abuse in the 1980's. It really began to ruin lives and start the growth of "designer drugs". The use of meth spread to all parts of the U.S. quickly.

Methamphetamine is easily made in household kitchens and doing so is extremely dangerous to those who live there or will in the future. The chemicals and cooking process contaminates the house and the contents and can cause sickness and death for those who occupy the residence. Gases produced can be extremely toxic. Fires or explosions are many times what alerts outsiders that a meth lab is inside.

Overdose is common and can include kidney failure, heart attack and death among other dangerous results. Addicts tend to increase the amount they use over time and end up consuming deadly portions of meth to get the same high.

Shawn Bridges gained world wide attention last year when he released a documentary on his meth drug use in a film called "No More Sunsets". It showed a bedridden Bridges hooked up to a catheter and feeding tube from his stomach. He had lost the inability to eat and go to the bathroom like a healthy person could. It was a profound visual about what his life had become because of his addiction to the harmful drug. He has said to have looked more like 70 or 80 years old even though in reality he was in his early 30's.

Shawn's family says he really started going downhill around age 16. He was a partier and dropped out of school and soon was hooked on meth. He suffered from two heart attacks before his death and his those around him knew he would likely die as a result of the dangerous drug.

Chip Rosetti is the man who filmed the documentary and says around 500-600 copies have been sold around the world. He plans to make a sequel to follow-up the first 29 minute film and will add Shawn Bridges death to it.

Sources:

Jim Suhr. "Mo. Man Who Documented Meth Use Dies" Newsday.com

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-death-by-meth-last-chapter,0,6601230.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

Wikipedia. "Methamphetamine" wikipedia.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meth