The Methamphetamine Epidemic

Methamphetamine, commonly known on the street as "speed", "meth", "chalk", "ice", "crystal", "glass", "crank", "go fast", "zip" and "tina", is devastating the United States of America. This highly addictive drug first made its appearance among biker gangs on the West Coast and slowly spread its venom throughout the entire nation. Recent studies show that worldwide there are over 26 million users with nearly 12 million of those being Americans.

Methamphetamine works by releasing a surge of dopamine in the brain which creates a rush of pleasure. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that works as a chemical messenger. Dopamine affects the part of the brain processes that control movement and emotional response. After extended use of meth, the dopamine receptors are destroyed making it impossible to feel pleasure. Studies show the brain can, after time, regenerate the destroyed receptors. However, the lasting affects of the drug severely impair the user's memory, judgement, coordination, and produce signs similar to those displayed Parkinsons' Disease suffers. Chronic abuse can lead to psychotic behavior, including paranoia, insomnia, anxiety, extreme aggression, delusions and hallucinations, and even death.

Not only does methamphetamine affect the dopamine in the brain, it also works as a stimulant to flood the brain with adrenaline. The release of this hormone causes the user to begin to "tweak". Tweaking happens at the end of a binge and results in an uncontrollable feeling of emptiness that leads the abuser to turn to a depressant to ease the feeling. The preferred choice of depressant is alcohol followed by heroin.

Methamphetamine comes in a variety of forms and can be smoked, snorted, eaten, or injected. To get immediate results, the user will either smoke or intravenously inject the drug. This produces a rush, also called a "flash" the only lasts a few minutes. Snorting meth produces similar effects within 3 to 5 minutes. Eating the drug prolongs the effect for up to 20 minutes.

The cycle of methamphetamine use is often referred to as a "binge and crash". This cycle begins with the 'rush'. The rush occurs after the drug is smoked or injected. During the this phase, the heart races and the blood pressure skyrockets. The rush can last for 5-30 minutes. The rush is followed by the high. The high gives the user a feeling of intelligence and invokes the argumentative side of the individual. The high can last 4-16 hours. The high continues with the binge. To maintain the high the user smokes or injects more meth. After repeated consecutive uses, there is no rush or high. The binge causes hyperactivity and can last 3-15 days. The binge ends with tweaking. Not only is tweaking very uncomfortable for the user, it also the most dangerous stage of the cycle. Following the almost two week cycle, the binger crashes. The user often becomes lifeless and requires an abundant amount of sleep. The crash can last 1-3 days.

Methamphetamine changes the body by destroying tissues and blood vessels disabling the body's ability to self repair . Visual signs of meth use are acne like sores that don't heal, rotten teeth and the loss of teeth. Another striking physical sign of methamphetamine use is the body being covered with small sores. This disorder, known as formication, is a condition where the user continually scratches the skin because of hallucinations of bugs crawling all over the skin. Extreme weight loss, to the point where cheeks are sunken, is also a common sign of usage.

Rotting and discolored teeth, also known as "meth mouth" is caused when the salivary glands dry out thereby causing the acid in the mouth to eat away at the tooth enamel. Many meth users have blackened teeth that are forever damaged. Studies have shown that snorting the drug is significantly worse than smoking or injecting it when it comes to the impact on teeth.

Methamphetamine users have an increased probability of contracting HIV and hepatitis B and C. Individuals that inject the drug are primarily infected by needle sharing. Moreover, methamphetamine use promotes risky sexual behavior which leads to unprotected sex and the transfer of the deadly virus'.

Statistics show that the typical methamphetamine user is a low income adult male. However, 338,000 individuals between the age of 12-17 have tried the drug at least once and 1.5 million individuals between the age of 18-25 have tried the drug at least once. Most meth users are in their 20's or 30's but its not uncommon to encounter meth addicts in their 40's or 50's.

The cost of one hit of meth, or about a quarter of a gram, costs between $25-$80. Compared to the 1980s, today's meth costs 10 times what it did 27 years ago. The price of methamphetamine is influenced by the government's regulation of the ingredients used to create the poison.

As of January, 2007, the latest fad among methamphetamine users is 'strawberry meth'. During the cooking process, flavor and color are added to cut down on the bitter taste. There is a grave concern that this will entice teens and be mistaken by toddlers as candy.

The rehabilitation of a methamphetamine user is a daunting task. Because of the destruction of the dopamine receptors in the brain, a user needs almost a year for the receptors to regenerate. Until these receptors are repaired, the user cannot experience pleasure and most are plagued with depression. Counseling is an integral part of the recovery process. Users must relearn their thinking and expectations since the drug gives an unnatural sense of constant euphoria.

It is my hope that by sharing this information we can all work together to help combat this terrible epidemic.